Digital Backpack

The University of Iowa is hosting its annual Alumni and Friends Flash Writing Contest—a timed, online short story competition. We’ll provide you with a writing prompt that includes a genre, character, and a specific object to incorporate into your story. You’ll have 48 hours and up to 1,000 words.

Parenting kids who are tech experts is no easy task. Take heart! You don't have to be a tech genius to be successful. Join us as we learn to navigate Parenting Kids In This Tech Savvy World.

Practice will take place Saturday, February 1, 2025, in the High School Gym. Registration and drop off will begin at 9:45am. Clinic practice time will be from 10AM to 11:30AM. Please use the main high school doors for pick up and drop off. Our performance will take place Feb 4.

Join us for an afternoon of Pizza and Sledding at the beautiful Wesley Woods Camp + Retreat Center. Bring your sleds (or borrow ours) and friends and enjoy pizza, sledding, crafts and hot chocolate. $5 per person, max $25 per family.

Bring in the new year with a hike at the beautiful Wesley Woods Camp + Retreat Center just south of Indianola, Iowa. We will have 3 guided hikes going on three different trails of varying ability. After the hike, warm up with hot chocolate and crafts in the lodge.

Overnight Camp, Day Camp, Family Camp and our amazing Partner Camps all work to bring the impact and value of camp to all who enter the Valley. If you’re looking for the ultimate camp experience, Summer Camp is the place to start. Find your next adventure at the Des Moines Y Camp!

Participate as an NSC in the Mathcounts Central Iowa Chapter competition! Mathcounts is a national program that provides students in grade 6-8 the opportunity to compete against and alongside their peers. The Mathcounts competition consists of 4 rounds: sprint, target, team, and countdown rounds.

Join the new Girl Scout Troop 01604 based out of the Runnells area. Looking for girls in Kindergarten and 1st grade and an adult volunteer. Contact Aly to register at amurphy@gsiowa.org or 515-348-6762. You can also register at girlscoutsiowa.org/join.

School’s Out Safari Camps are one-day camps for students in grades 1-3. These camps are scheduled on certain days when metro area schools are out for holidays or teacher professional development.

Partner with World Link to place foreign exchange students at your local high school. Earn $5,700 for placing three students and promote global connections in your community!

Junior Menace is a seven-week developmental program for boys and girls, ages 3 to 9. It is a program designed for all ability levels and we definitely encourage beginners! This is a great program to learn basic soccer skills if your child has never played before.