Welcome back to a new school year! Community Promise helps students in Marion to develop a pathway to pursuing careers here at home. We provide exposure, experience, and pursuit opportunities to learn more about those careers. Whether you’re reading this as a business, parent, student, or teacher, we think you’ll find value in the tools and

Venture Academics, an innovative project-based learning model launches this fall. Led by the Linn-Mar Community School District, this community based program is a partnership with Marion Economic Development and Community Promise. Venture Academics allows students to earn high school credit by meeting Iowa Core standards and applying knowledge to real-world

Shelby Mrgich and Morgan Finnegan both began their careers as Tellers at Hills Bank. Mrgich started at the bank in 2008, working part time while she attended Kirkwood Community College to obtain her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. “I didn’t have any experience in banking, I just knew Hills Bank was in the area I lived and thought I would

Michael Pfeiffer first learned about ESCO Group at Kirkwood Community College, when a recruiter visited his class. “I always knew I was interested in ESCO and that they were a great company I wanted to work for one day.” Pfeiffer completed the Industrial Maintenance and Automation programs at Kirkwood Community College and was lucky enough to

Marion, IA – Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) announces the launch of Marion Community Build, a program of Community Promise. The effort is a new partnership together with the City of Marion, Marion Independent School District and Linn-Mar Community School District. For more than thirty years the school districts have constructed new

Our third story in the series “What’s an Apprenticeship Anyways?” brings us more information about Bricklayer Apprenticeships. Bricklayers can work within construction or maintenance work. In construction, bricklayers build walls, chimneys, fireplaces, partitions, and other structures in homes and public buildings. In maintenance work,

As a young teenager, Corbin Kruser loved jet skiing and motocross. His curiosity and mechanical aptitude eventually led him to start making his own parts to support his hobbies. As soon as high school allowed, Corbin joined the Advanced Manufacturing with Robotics and Welding Career Academy at Kirkwood Community College. Kirkwood offers several career

For over 40 years, the highly experienced training committee at Five Rivers Carpenters JATC have been teaching apprentices the art of carpentry. Through commercial carpentry, residential carpentry and cabinetry classes, Five Rivers Carpenters JATC help apprentices become professional carpenters. John DeLany, Apprenticeship Coordinator at Five Rivers