NewBoCo announced this week the launch of 99 Counties for Coding, a fundraising campaign that will measure the impact computer science classes have on students, teachers and school districts across Iowa.
“99 Counties for Coding offers a unique opportunity to support educators seeking computer science experience throughout the state, making concepts like problem solving, collaboration, and how to create with computers accessible to all,” said Samantha Dahlby, NewBoCo K-12 Education Director & Code.org program manager, in a news release. “Teaching future generations to think critically is a component for life-long learning that we, as a quickly evolving society, won’t regret.”
The campaign will take place all of next week, running Aug. 12-16. NewBoCo’s stated goal is to receive a donation from every county in Iowa.
So far, 364 elementary, middle, and high school teachers have brought computer science classes to over 18,000 Iowa students through the training they received in one of NewBoCo’s Code.org programs.
This summer, 83 middle and high school teachers, including two educators from Minnesota, participated in one of NewBoCo’s three workshops.
Starting in this month, a series of 11 K-5 Computer Science Fundamentals workshops, made possible through the STEM Scale-Up program and Computer Science is Elementary grants, are also scheduled throughout the state with the goal of students coming into contact with technology driven learning experiences.
Predictive Health Partners accepted into gener8tor 2019 cohort
Des Moines-based insurtech startup Predictive Health Partners has been accepted into the gener8tor 2019 accelerator cohort.
Predictive Health Partners helps organizations detect and reduce, on average, 30% of their wasteful healthcare spending. The company currently has 4 active platform clients and 14 in the onboarding process.
Over 800 companies applied for the 2019 cohort and just five were accepted. Predictive Health Partners will relocate for the duration of the 12-week program, allowing them to fully take part in Minneapolis-based accelerator.
Predictive Health Partners was also one of ten companies to participate in the 2019 cohort of the Global Insurance Accelerator in Des Moines earlier this year.
Denim Summit set for Oct. 16-17

Denim’s third annual Denim Summit has been announced and will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 16-17.
Denim Summit is a live event experience that brings together leaders from top financial services companies in insurance, banking, and wealth management for two days of exploration, collaboration and inspiration.