2002 ICEA Award Honorees

2003 Iowa Community Association Awards
ICEA extends our thanks and congratulations to our 2004 Iowa Community Association Award winners presented at the annual conference in Des Moines on October 19, 2004. These awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations throughout Iowa that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to lifelong learning and community involvement.

Citizen Service
Kay Pettijohn, Institute for Character Development

The Citizen Service Award is given to a community member who has rendered exemplary leadership and service in developing the principles of community education in the community. Ms. Kay Augustine Pettijohn is today’s winner.

Kay has dedicated a lifetime to community education. She exemplifies a heart for community service not only through her work, but models that passion through her own volunteerism and love of service. She makes community education a priority in her work at the Institute for Character Development and in her service on the current board of the Iowa Community Education, where she served as our president in 1998-99. She has served on the Service Project Committee for the Iowa Summit on Volunteerism and the central committee for the State of Iowa Celebration of Youth Service Day since 1997.

Ms. Pettijohn has made community education a primary focus of every position she has held. As program director for Very Special Arts Iowa, she worked to link schools and communities in partnership to provide programs in the arts. As the Community and Adult Education Director of Waukee Community Schools, Ms. Pettijohn provided coordination for adult and community education programs. In this role she successfully initiated first grant monies for Service Learning projects, developed an active role for the school district in the network of state and area community education leaders and agencies, and served on planning committees for the state conferences. In the same time period, she owned and directed the Creative Arts Learning Center providing a community school of arts. Her honors have included selection as a representative for the State of Iowa to the Board of National Council of State Community Education Associations in 1998, named to the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service by Governor Branstad in 1998, honored as a member of International Who’s Who of Professionals in 1998, and received the Outstanding Organization Award to Iowa Sesquicentennial Commission by the Iowa Community Education Association in 1997. Ms. Pettijohn is a master at networking. Her “big picture” approach allows her to see groups that should or could be linked for greater effectiveness. She is skilled at bringing those groups together and serving as a liaison between them. She serves as a catalyst for developing partnerships to further character education statewide. Let’s honor Kay Augstine Pettijohn as our Citizen Leadership Award winner for 2002.

Outstanding Organization
Waterloo Center for the Arts
Junior Art Gallery

The outstanding organization award is presented to an agency, organization, or institution at the local or state level that has exemplified leadership and involvement in the principles of community education. The Junior Art Gallery at the Waterloo Center for the Arts is today’s winner.

In 1968 the Junior Art Gallery program was started at the Waterloo Center for the Arts Commission, the public schools and the Junior League of Waterloo/Cedar Falls. Searching for a way to ease racial tension and implement integration standards the early organizers decided to build an exhibit just for kids in an area where young people from the “eastside and westside” of Waterloo would feel comfortable. The Center’s location was well situated in the community to assure easy accessibility for both westside and eastside schools. It is recognized that each exhibit, carefully researched, planned and designed serve as a natural enhancement to the area school curriculum and provide teachers and the community at large with a much-needed resource. Educating our youth is one of our primary goals and one that is continually evolving and changing. It is our greatest challenge and our greatest accomplishment. Community youth that participate in the Junior Art Gallery program find their lives enriched as a result of the integration of arts and culture into their everyday lives.

Among those visiting the Gallery are groups with special needs such as English as Second Language students, individuals with hearing and vision impairments, mentally and physically challenged visitors, senior citizen groups and at0risk youth. Additionally community programs include a Special Events Family Day with live music, performances, crafts, food and games related to the exhibition, an adult symposium, film series and parent / child workshops.

The originating parties maintain a cooperative effort as together they strive to serve the ever-changing needs of our community. In order to obtain artifacts and memorabilia to be displayed in the exhibitions they have worked with and borrowed from institutions both local and non-local including the UNI Museum, the Grout Museum of History and Science, the Smithsonian Institute, the Balch Institute, the Vesterheim Museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Field Museum, and hundreds of generous individuals willing to share family keepsakes and heirlooms. Over 200 volunteers contribute 4500 hours annually to research, construct, paint murals, recreate replicas of art objects and artifacts, install and catalog items and give tours. Many local and state organizations fund its operation.

Professional Service
David Hayes, Community Education Director
Maquoketa, IA

The Professional Service award is given to a community education professional who has exemplifies outstanding community-level leadership in developing community education. Mr. David Hayes is today’s winner.

Mr. Hayes has promoted and supported the development of community education by listening to members of his community in Maquoketa. Secondly, he listens to his counterparts across the state and nation and then he works to share the ideas with others. His definition of community education encompasses recreation, job skills, parenting skills and hobbies and extends to serve all individuals in the community not matter what their ages. David is a leader. He mdels his ability to be proactive, organized and approachable. He has a good sense of humor and follows through on his commitments. He is always willing to commit his personal time, energy and enthusiasm to a variety of projects and initiatives. His greatest strength is his ability to facilitate networking and involvement with other people, agencies, institutions and organizations. Here are some examples:

Mr. Hayes has worked with the local Boy Scout Troop, the Parks and Recreation Committee and the city to develop a local skate park. He worked with all three parties to assist in the development of a plan for a safe place for youth to use their skateboards including the financial and human resources.
Mr. Hays works with the 21st Century grant connecting the project director with many individuals in the community and also has worked to expand opportunities to earn a general education diploma by providing additional sessions during evening hours.
Mr. Hays works with all juniors in high school concerning post secondary enrollment options.

Dave was recently cited in the local newspaper for fostering a joint venture by the school, city and ARC committee.