The students participating in the By Degrees program are highly motivated, having been shaped by the program since its inception in YEAR. The Findley students are highly motivated, beginning each and every day with a morning meeting and starting the day of right through a focus on attitude and a mindset for the day ahead. They share shout-outs, engage with teachers and students, and end each day by chanting the year of their expected college graduation. Additionally, By Degrees offers:

• An in-school program manager: Each partner school receives a By Degrees program manager who works directly in and with schools to identify needs, develop solutions, coordinate program implementation, and build and maintain our future-focused culture.
• Postsecondary visits: Every K-8 grade level partners with a postsecondary institution. Students visit their partner each year and learn from professors and students. In high school, we work with teachers and other community groups to facilitate small group visits tailored to specific education and career goals.
• Career experiences: By Degrees holds annual in-school career days introducing students to a variety of careers in fields requiring many educational paths. In middle school, students take career, skills and interest surveys, and build on those identified areas with internships, externships, and other career experiences throughout high school.
• 529 college savings accounts: All elementary students have access to a free College Savings Iowa account and can earn $200 annually throughout K-12 by completing academic/personal milestones.
• Financial education: Annual Family Fun Night brings students and families together to learn about paying for postsecondary education and planning for the future.
• Postsecondary pathway planning: By Degrees works closely with partner schools to deploy a deliberate and interconnected model ensuring students regularly learn about postsecondary pathways, create real-life roadmaps, and prepare for the future at every stage of K-12 development.

Adaptive Sports Iowa was officially launched on March 8, 2011, at the Adaptive Sports Iowa Summit.  The summit brought together leaders and advocates of individuals with disabilities.  Since 2011, Adaptive Sports Iowa began acquiring equipment and providing opportunities for all physical disabilities.  Programs offered since its inception have included:

Adaptive Sports Iowa and the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau have hosted four national events: the 2012 & 2016 National Beep Baseball World Series, 2014 National Junior Disability Championships, and the 2014 National Goalball Championships.

ASI manages and supports the only recognized adaptive RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) Team.  ASI provided ADA lodging and rider support for the seven-day ride across Iowa.

Iowa was the first state in the nation to offer wheelchair events at the State High School Track & Field Championships.  Since ASI began in 2011, the number of participants at the state meet has more than doubled due to the equipment loaner program offered by Adaptive Sports Iowa.

Annually, ASI hosts “Adaptive Sports on the Grand Concourse” at the Iowa State Fair.  This event provided a platform to promote ASI and allows the opportunity for Iowans to see and try various adaptive sports equipment.

ASI is a program of the Iowa Sports Foundation (ISF) which was founded in 1986 as a 501(c)3 non-profit entity.  The Iowa Sports Foundation’s mission is to provide sports, recreation, health, and wellness opportunities for Iowans of all abilities.

In addition to ASI, the ISF is comprised of the Iowa Games, Live Healthy Iowa, Iowa Seniors Games, Des Moines Corporate Games, and the Corridor Corporate Games.