Upcoming Events

Event Calendar
Iowa AEA professional learning system

Iowa Association of Area Education Agencies (IAAEA) seeks higher ed partner to offer graduate credit for professional learning

The Iowa Association of Area Education Agencies (IAAEA) is seeking proposals from higher education entities to provide graduate credit for… Continue reading Home

Agency News

All News

  • Revolutionizing Education: How Central Rivers AEA is Empowering Schools to Harness the Power of Artificial Intelligence

  • Improving Special Education outcomes: Iowa’s AEAs role in student success

  • The debate over cellphone use in schools: pros and cons

How we help educators, students & families

  • 1

    Scope of Options

    We offer a variety of solutions designed to tackle different challenges in education. Let us support you in overcoming hurdles and reaching your goals.

  • 2

    Customization

    We collaborate with school districts to tailor support through their district service plans, ensuring solutions that fit each district's specific needs and goals.

  • 3

    Excellence

    Excellence is not a buzzword at Central Rivers AEA, it's part of our DNA as an organization. We recruit and retain highly qualified team members with a passion for service.

  • 4

    Leadership & Service

    We both respond to district requests and create opportunities never thought of before. Our dedication extends to every last student we serve.

Learn More

get connected

Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

2 days ago

✨Joy through play! ✨ A student at Lou Henry Elementary is learning and exploring in a whole new way – thanks to a custom, accessible play gym made possible by an amazing team effort! 👏 Central Rivers AEA, Waterloo CSD and the Waterloo Career Center teamed up to bring this idea to life, creating a sensory-rich space designed just for the student’s needs. The best part? It sparked so much joy, three more gyms were built for other schools, too! This is what happens when educators, therapists, and community partners come together – big impact, starting with play. 🙌 Check out the full story on our website > Impacting Lives > Assistive Technology Success Stories. #CRAEA #iaedchat #EveryDayAtAEA #accessibleplay Lightbox link for post with description ✨Joy through play! ✨ A student at Lou Henry...

✨Joy through play! ✨

A student at Lou Henry Elementary is learning and exploring in a whole new way – thanks to a custom, accessible play gym made possible by an amazing team effort! 👏

Central Rivers AEA, Waterloo CSD and the Waterloo Career Center teamed up to bring this... idea to life, creating a sensory-rich space designed just for the student’s needs. The best part? It sparked so much joy, three more gyms were built for other schools, too!

This is what happens when educators, therapists, and community partners come together – big impact, starting with play. 🙌

Check out the full story on our website > Impacting Lives > Assistive Technology Success Stories.

#CRAEA #iaedchat #EveryDayAtAEA #accessibleplay

30
Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

3 days ago

We value our partnerships with school districts and local businesses and love working together to support student success! 👏🙌 #EveryDayAtAEA #CRAEA #iaedchat #collaboration Lightbox link for post with description We value our partnerships with school districts...

We value our partnerships with school districts and local businesses and love working together to support student success! 👏🙌

#EveryDayAtAEA #CRAEA #iaedchat #collaboration

10
Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

1 weeks ago

We are proud to partner with @stctrojans Partnership Center for their 2nd Annual Job Fair! 🎉 Students explored local career opportunities in the Tama/Toledo and Marshalltown areas as part of their Career Exploration Program through Central Rivers AEA. 🙌👏 #CRAEA #iaedchat #EveryDayAtAEA #careerexploration Lightbox link for post with description We are proud to partner with @stctrojans...

We are proud to partner with @stctrojans Partnership Center for their 2nd Annual Job Fair! 🎉

Students explored local career opportunities in the Tama/Toledo and Marshalltown areas as part of their Career Exploration Program through Central Rivers AEA. 🙌👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat ...#EveryDayAtAEA #careerexploration

50
Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

1 weeks ago

May is School Board Appreciation Month! 🙌 🏫 We appreciate the volunteer efforts of all the school boards in our service area, especially our Central Rivers AEA board. These individuals collectively represent a clear, ethical and dedicated mission for the students, families and educators we serve! 👏 #CRAEA #iaedchat #schoolboardappreciation Lightbox link for post with description May is School Board Appreciation Month! 🙌 🏫...

May is School Board Appreciation Month! 🙌 🏫 We appreciate the volunteer efforts of all the school boards in our service area, especially our Central Rivers AEA board. These individuals collectively represent a clear, ethical and dedicated mission for the students, families and educators we ...serve! 👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat #schoolboardappreciation

60
Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

1 weeks ago

Students had a great time at the recent Transition Fair hosted at @niacc_trojans! 🎉 They explored future opportunities and connected with peers from Belmond-Klemme, Central Springs, Charles City, CRAEA Brookhaven, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Hampton-Dumont, Lake Mills, Mason City, North Iowa, Osage, RRMR, West Fork and West Hancock CSDs. While students were in sessions, teachers met with community partners like 43NorthIowa, Disability Rights Iowa, Proteus, OneVision, Iowa Total Care and others — gathering helpful tools and ideas to support students on their next steps. 🙌 Huge thanks to everyone who made the two days a success! 👏 #CRAEA #iaedchat #studenttransitionfair #communitycollaboration Lightbox link for post with description Students had a great time at the recent ...

Students had a great time at the recent Transition Fair hosted at @niacc_trojans! 🎉

They explored future opportunities and connected with peers from Belmond-Klemme, Central Springs, Charles City, CRAEA Brookhaven, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Hampton-Dumont, Lake Mills, Mason ...City, North Iowa, Osage, RRMR, West Fork and West Hancock CSDs.

While students were in sessions, teachers met with community partners like 43NorthIowa, Disability Rights Iowa, Proteus, OneVision, Iowa Total Care and others — gathering helpful tools and ideas to support students on their next steps. 🙌

Huge thanks to everyone who made the two days a success! 👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat #studenttransitionfair #communitycollaboration

41
Follow
Account avatar for Central Rivers AEA

Central Rivers AEA

2 weeks ago

In honor of Occupational Therapy Month, we celebrated with a fun and meaningful project at Saint Ansgar Community School District! 🐰🎉 Two special education students, Jase (9th grade) and Grady (6th), teamed up with our Central Rivers AEA occupational therapy staff to take on the role of Easter bunnies. They worked on fine motor skills and task completion by stuffing Easter eggs – with a little help from Special Ed teacher Mr. Sullivan, who made sure the candy passed quality control! 👏 Then came the best part: spreading smiles around the school! Jase and Grady practiced social skills by greeting students and staff as they handed out eggs – even delivering one to elementary principal Mr. Jered Osgood. Way to go, Jase and Grady! 🙌 #CRAEA #iaedchat #OccupationalTherapyMonth #EveryDayAtAEA Lightbox link for post with description In honor of Occupational Therapy Month, we...

In honor of Occupational Therapy Month, we celebrated with a fun and meaningful project at Saint Ansgar Community School District! 🐰🎉

Two special education students, Jase (9th grade) and Grady (6th), teamed up with our Central Rivers AEA occupational therapy staff to take on the role... of Easter bunnies. They worked on fine motor skills and task completion by stuffing Easter eggs – with a little help from Special Ed teacher Mr. Sullivan, who made sure the candy passed quality control! 👏

Then came the best part: spreading smiles around the school! Jase and Grady practiced social skills by greeting students and staff as they handed out eggs – even delivering one to elementary principal Mr. Jered Osgood.

Way to go, Jase and Grady! 🙌 #CRAEA #iaedchat #OccupationalTherapyMonth #EveryDayAtAEA

90

What we are proud of

Top Iowa Workplace

We were a Des Moines Register Top Workplace two years in a row.

90%

of local educators say Central Rivers AEA special education services are "meeting or exceeding" expectations.

96%

of local educators say that Central Rivers AEA Future Ready supports are "meeting or exceeding" expectations.

98%

of local educators say that Central Rivers AEA Media and Creative Services are "meeting or exceeding" expectations.

"The AEA staff members who work with my district have been extremely helpful across the board...answering questions specific to content areas, helping with technology implementation, analyzing and using student data, and implementing Social and Emotional Learning structures."

High School Teacher