As part of its Rural Teacher Corps, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is proud to host this free event to support Eastern Iowa teachers
For the third summer in a row, small-town educators across Eastern Iowa are invited to come together for a free opportunity designed to help them tend to their personal well-being, reconnect with their professional passion, and feel supported.
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is proud to host the third-annual Rural Teacher Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, August 7, at Innovate 120/Maquoketa Art Experience, 120 S. Main St., Maquoketa, IA.
The summit is free to attend for educators at all grade levels, including classroom teachers, school administrators, guidance counselors and other professionals. Breakfast and lunch are included, and each attendee will receive a $25 gas gift card to offset travel costs.
Educators can register at dbqfoundation.org/summit2025.
“By supporting teachers, schools win and communities win,” says Program Officer Josie Manternach, a former teacher who oversees the Foundation’s education work. “When we invest in empowering teachers, we invest in every child’s future.”
This year’s theme is Thrive Where You Teach and features a full day of breakout sessions and guest speakers focusing on topics like burnout prevention, stress management, connecting with nature, and being an empathetic school and classroom leader. Speakers and session leaders include:
- Aaron Thomas (keynote speaker)
Principal and Head Basketball Coach, Aplington-Parkersburg High School
The Power of One - Jessica Goltz (breakout session leader)
Founder, Seva Health Center for Well Being
Your Brain on Burnout: Learning to Watch out for the Elephants - Jared McGovern (breakout session leader)
Director, The Wanderwood Gardens
People, Place and Play - Nicole Skaar (breakout session leader)
Professor & Coordinator, School Psychology Program at University of Northern Iowa
Social Emotional Learning Advocacy - Tara Madden (breakout session leader)
Executive Director of Talent Development Secondary and Leadership Team, GRAD Partnership
Efficacy Through Connection: The Power of Supportive Relationships
Attendees also will hear about an opportunity to apply for classroom grants.
For attendees, the summit is a chance to learn, network and reconnect with what they love about being a rural educator.
“In high school, kids are learning who they are and what they want to be in life,” says Jacob Brindle, an English teacher at Cascade High School. “I love seeing that and helping them navigate this time in their lives.”
The summit is one of the benefits the Community Foundation offers to teachers in the seven-county Dubuque region through its Rural Teacher Corps, a partnership with the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC).
In 2023, the Foundation became RSC’s Iowa Regional Hub, building capacity to support thriving rural communities by focusing on a key driver of small-town quality of life: teachers and public schools.
“Our region is filled with educators who care deeply about the children they teach and the communities they serve,” says Manternach. “We are proud to offer opportunities to help support them, their schools and the towns that make up our rural region.”
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About the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque envisions a vibrant and inclusive Dubuque region where everyone can thrive. Since 2002, we have inspired people to give back to their community, and we turn this generosity into lasting change across our region, increasing access to resources and opportunities that help all people succeed.
Visit dbqfoundation.org to learn about the many ways we are building a strong, thriving Greater Dubuque for all—and how you can donate your time, talents, and dollars to transform our region.
