Register for TreeKeepers Classes NowNature lovers are needed to help maintain and plant trees throughout Iowa and Illinois; volunteers can sign up now for virtual training through Trees Forever's TreeKeepers classes. The course is designed for people who want to become more knowledgeable about urban tree planting and care and will empower attendees to become effective environmental volunteers.

The deadline to submit applications to the Benton County Community Foundation for its 2021 grant cycle is 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 2021. The online grant application may be found on the Community Foundation’s website at www.bentonccf.org. Grants are awarded to projects in the following areas: arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health, and human service.

 By MARCIA ROGERS Iowa Student Loan Board Member(February 23, 2021) - As potential student loan changes are discussed by the Biden administration, you may have several questions about how your own student loan payments may be affected.At Iowa Student Loan, we have put together some information to consider when repaying student loan debt. These items are for informational purposes only; any action you take should be an individual decision based on your own situation.

Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs awards$108,000 for Historic PreservationGrants support projects in nine communities across the stateFrom Sioux City’s historic downtown to the old Muscatine County Jail, nine Iowa communities have received a total of $108,284 in new grants for historic preservation projects.The State Historic Preservation Office, a bureau of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, awarded the grants through its Certified Local Government program for historic preservation, which encourages governmental partnerships, provides training and technical assistance, and supports preservation of historic resources at the local level.

The University of Dubuque congratulates the following students on being appointed to the Fall Semester 2020 Academic Dean's List.To be named to the dean's list, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for that semester.The University of Dubuque is a private university offering undergraduate, graduate, and theological seminary degrees as well as other educational opportunities with the intention of educating and forming the whole person.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor's List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the fall 2020 semester.UW-Platteville, founded in 1866 and located in Southwest Wisconsin, is home to approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to the Platteville campus, the university has campuses in Richland Center and Baraboo.

The deadline to submit 2021 scholarship applications to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is 11:59 p.m. on March 10, 2021. The online application can be found on the Community Foundation’s website at www.cfneia.org/scholarships.  CFNEIA awarded nearly $588,770 in scholarships to high school, college, and adult students in 2020.

Rachel Nugent of Vinton, a student of Grand View University announces was named to the Dean's list and President's list for exceptional undergraduate academic performance.To achieve the Dean’s list, Grand View students must successfully complete a minimum of 12 graded semester hours of credit, earn no grade lower than a C during the semester, and earn an overall semester grade point average of 3.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces its Dean's List, honoring those full-time students who earned high honors in the fall 2020 semester.College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture and the College of Liberal Arts and Education require grade-point averages of 3.75 and above for Dean's List honors, while the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science requires students to reach at least a 3.

 Once again, Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) is partnering with Benton Soil & Water Conservation District (Benton SWCD) to foster the higher education endeavors of Iowa students interested in conservation and agriculture by offering scholarships. Iowa High School Class of 2021 students pursuing programs of study in any field of conservation or agriculture are eligible for the Conservation Scholarship.