Central Rivers Area Education Agency

We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication shown by Hampton-Dumont Community School District educators at their recent four-day Science of Reading Summit! Led by literacy consultant Melissa Blohm, our team took a deep dive into essential research on how students learn to read. To keep the energy high and the learning fun, the group enjoyed a beach-themed atmosphere while collaborating on daily routines, data-driven decision-making and effective reading and writing instruction.

The summit's impact was best captured by Jen Koenen, Hampton-Dumont CSD's Director of Academic Services, who shared: "To say that Hampton-Dumont's four-day Summer of "Science of Reading" Summit has been amazing would be an incredible understatement!! Melissa Blohm has facilitated deep learning beyond what we could have even hoped!"

Let’s work through the upcoming school year together, using these powerful, evidence-based practices to support all of our young readers! This is what outstanding professional growth looks like.

Shoutout to the Independence CSD Mustangs students who leveled up their career prep at the recent Indee Impact Career Day! 👏

Karl Kurt, CRAEA Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR and Sarah Nelson, CRAEA Director of IT/Special Programs, teamed up to deliver an awesome Professional Skills Workshop, giving students the ultimate toolkit to kickstart their futures. 👏

With the assistance of our CRAEA Work-Based Learning Coordinator Keith Halverson, who helped organize the event, students got an inside look at what employers actually want to see in entry-level candidates and how to carry themselves professionally on the job. They also practiced answering interview questions with confidence, learned how to stand out from the crowd even without a lot of experience on their resumes, and even discovered how to use ChatGPT as a personal interview coach.

We love collaborating with our schools to support student success! 🙌