First of Its Kind School Fair Opens Doors to New Schools of Choice

Des Moines school choice celebration to feature superheroes, scavenger hunt, free snacks

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As families in all 50 states celebrate K-12 learning, a Des Moines school fair marking School Choice Week will feature superheroes, scavenger hunts, and learning options of all stripes. This year's fair will particularly highlight private school options that parents can choose using Iowa's new Education Savings Account Program.

The central Iowa school fair on Saturday, Jan. 27 will help families find a good fit for the upcoming school year — drawing more than 300 community members and featuring more than 20 private schools, charter schools, as well as information about homeschooling, virtual education, tutoring, and how to apply for Iowa's Education Savings Account Program.

The fair will set the mood for celebration with a photo booth, a scavenger hunt, refreshments, red and yellow balloons, and a meet-and-greet with the Iowa League of Heroes.

One of the flagship events for Iowa School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27), the event takes place 1-3 p.m. at the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, located at 3000 E. Grand Ave. in Des Moines.

Another notable Iowa celebration will take place Tuesday, Jan. 23 when private school students gather for a school choice breakfast at the Iowa State Capitol. The 7-8:30 a.m. event will give families, educators, and community leaders the chance to discuss Iowa's expanding learning options. The breakfast will feature a photo opportunity as well.

Trish Wilger, Executive Director of Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education states, "We are honored to celebrate parental choice in education in Iowa with these fun and informative events.  Our goal is to shine a positive spotlight on school choice and provide information to parents exploring options. We are looking forward to this week of celebration!"

National School Choice Week (NSCW), which will feature thousands of school choice events across all 50 states, is an annual celebration to raise positive awareness of the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education options available for families. Another notable Iowa celebration of school choice will take place Jan. 23 when highschoolers share a breakfast and what school choice means to them with legislators at the State Capitol.

Last January, during School Choice Week 2023, Iowa passed the first universal education savings account of the year. The state began phasing in the new scholarship this school year.  Iowa's Education Savings Account Program allows parents who choose a participating private school to receive their child's education funding (about $7,598) in an online account. Parents can then use those funds for approved educational expenses. About 94% of K-12 students in Iowa were eligible for the program for 2023-2024.

The school fair's host, Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to expanding school choice options in Iowa. Its mission is to promote educational choice so that all children and parents in Iowa can access and afford their school of choice.

Families can learn more and RSVP for the free event at desmoinesschoolfair.com.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week