Thirteen years ago DMPS started a program in conjunction with the University of Iowa known as the Summer Journalism Academy for kids transitioning from elementary to middle school. Twelve years ago the City of Des Moines deeded over 200 acres of land in a corner of southeast Des Moines to the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary … Read more »

There is a probably apocryphal story involving famed concert pianist Arthur Rubenstein according to which he was stopped by a man in need of directions on the streets of New York. “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” the fellow is supposed to have asked. “Practice, practice, practice,” if the story is to be believed, was Rubenstein’s … Read more »

The 2012-13 All-City Speech and Debate Team was named by the coaches of the high school programs. This was the first time city-wide recognition was presented to high school speech and debate participants. “These are exceptional students who succeed not only in their events but also in the classroom,” said Harry Strong, head coach at … Read more »

We have liftoff! The third time was the charm for a proud, excited bunch of apprentice scientists at (Cape) Callanan Middle School this morning. Nosa Ali, Gloria Almendarez, Moises Castellanos, Roman Talbert, Daniel Miron, Brett Blackwood and Linda Valle are 8th grade students in Anson Bonte’s Science Bound program class, a partnership between DMPS and … Read more »

The Casady Alternative Center is like an Intensive Care Unit for students. The kids who are referred there face obstacles ranging from academic credit deficiencies to behavioral disorders. They enter at risk of becoming community misfits. So what better barometer of progress could there be than community service? Recently one middle school class and two … Read more »