Storm Lake Learning Center

To improve student learning accessibility, Iowa Central’s Storm Lake Center has consolidated our facilities into a single location that houses industrial training and learning buildings. It is a centralized hub for students previously spread across four sites. Iowa Central’s buildings are designed in a modern concept that supports diverse academic and workforce training programs. Our new location strengthens the college’s connection to the community by offering expanded career pathways and training opportunities for students and local businesses. A portion of the Storm Lake Learning Center is dedicated to a Career Academy serving students from five school districts. Students can take courses work in the following areas:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Business
• Science/Programming
• Liberal Arts/Transfer
• Electrical
• Health Science
• Teacher Academy

Why attend an Iowa Central Career Academy?

• It provides an opportunity for a group of students from different school districts to enroll in a specific set of courses associated with a designated career area.
• Provides clear and precise career pathways through a specific sequence of courses.
• Allows school districts to pool resources and instruction.
• Provides more educational opportunities to students.
• Allows students to study all the basic courses AND get a skill they will keep for a lifetime... all while getting a head start on a career path.
• National Credentialing where available and applicable, such as the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) and OSHA 10.
• Freshmen through Seniors are eligible to apply.
• Apprenticeship programs are available to select students and career pathways.

Structure

Participating students will travel to the Storm Lake Learning Center 5 days a week and take part in a career pathway from 8:20 AM–11:00 PM each day. Students will take a specific sequence of courses that will provide skills and an educational base that will allow students to either transfer these college credits into an academic program at the post-secondary level or seek employment. Students have the opportunity to gain college credit courses in a discipline that interests them, while still attending high school. These career pathways are designed to lead into multiple college programs giving the most flexibility to students who participate.

Students will also participate in an Orientation course and a College Experience (1 college credit) course to help acclimate them to the expectations and schedule of each career pathway as well as expose each student to different aspects of post-secondary education including topics such as college applications, financial aid, housing, and entrance requirements.

Student Commitment

Students that wish to participate and are accepted into the Storm Lake Learning Center are committing a full academic year to the career pathway. This means they will attend the academy 5 days a week, for the entire school year. The student will also be held to the same standards that a regular college student is holding and will follow the Iowa Central academic calendar. They will be held accountable to all college policies and procedures that are listed in the Iowa Central student handbook.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in industry tours, access to guest speakers and possible job shadowing, apprenticeships for selecting career pathways, as well as college visits and career fairs.

Savings and Scholarships

By participating in a career pathway, students have access to college credits that can save them both time and money when it comes to entering an academic program at the post-secondary level. Based on 2024-2025 Iowa Central tuition rates, students can save themselves and their parents between $3,206 (14 credits) and $3,893 (17 credits), not to mention the savings on the textbooks, materials and supplies which can average between $400 and $1,000 a year, depending on the career pathway.