The Iowa EdTech Collaborative has been awarded a $393,184 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce‘s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the advancement of edtech growth in the state of Iowa.
The grant is expected to help create or retain 463 jobs and will be used to support the hiring of a full-time “Director of Educational Technology.”
The Iowa EdTech Collaborative officially launched in October of 2019 after the completion of an in-depth study commissioned by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and produced by TEConomy, “The EdTech Opportunity: Educational Technology as a Dynamic Growth Sector for Iowa.”
“The TEConomy study confirmed Iowa’s legacy in education and strong foundation in EdTech, while presenting a roadmap to create jobs and grow this thriving sector,” said Debi Durham, executive director of the IEDA and Iowa Finance Authority in a release. “This grant will build upon our work to weave EdTech into Iowa’s economic development priorities, expand the state’s foothold in this global industry and benefit future learners.”
The Iowa EdTech Collaborative efforts are being led by the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD), which was identified as the logical organization to spearhead the strategies due to a growing edtech cluster in the Iowa City area.
“Innovation in assessment and learning has been a foundation of the Iowa City area for over 60 years. What started with entrepreneurial roots has blossomed into an industry that employs over 3,100 employees statewide with more than 2,000 here locally in Johnson County,” said Kate Moreland, President of ICAD. “The recent emergence of a handful of successful edtech startups has led us to dive deeper and explore doubling down on the sector.”
Previous coverage
Pear Deck acquired by California-based edtech company -Nov. 25, 2020
Iowa EdTech Accelerator announces four startups for inaugural cohort -Feb. 26, 2020
Startup Roundtable examines industry clusters, explores edtech in Iowa -June 12, 2019
