BVU, Siouxland Human Investment Partnership Forge Strategic Partnership
Through a Strategic Partnership with Buena Vista University, Siouxland Human Investment Partnership offers educational benefits to its employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP) have positioned themselves as Strategic Partners to help strengthen the workforce and the communities they serve.
This partnership allows for employees of SHIP, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
“I think we all need to grow in our education, and this Strategic Partnership is the perfect opportunity for our employees and their family members, whether they’re going back for a degree, furthering their education, or taking classes for their benefit,” says SHIP Human Resources/Payroll Specialist Joli Gehring. “I finished my degree online, and it was a lot of work—more work than attending school in a classroom setting—but that’s the only way I could finish my degree with a family at home.”
“I think we all need to grow in our education, and this Strategic Partnership is the perfect opportunity for our employees and their family members, whether they’re going back for a degree, furthering their education, or taking classes for their benefit.”
SHIP Human Resources/Payroll Specialist Joli Gehring
Based in Sioux City, SHIP is an advocate for the Siouxland community, providing leadership in response to identified community needs and collaboratively supporting the delivery of health, human services, education, and public safety.
The nonprofit organization formed in 1998 as the Early Childhood Iowa and Decategorization Board for Woodbury County. While still involved in both roles, SHIP—which employs about 130 people—also has evolved to position itself as an organization capable of administering additional initiatives with a scope of services offered for individuals from pre-birth to death. SHIP administers the Beyond the Bell program, a before, after, and summer school program operating 24 locations in Sioux City elementary and middle schools, South Sioux City elementary schools, and Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools. Other SHIP programs include BOOST, a U.S. Department of Labor re-entry program working with 18-24-year-olds, and Sky Ranch Behavioral Services, a mental health and substance use provider working with youth up to the age of 18.
“So far, I have been enjoying going to BVU,” says SHIP Beyond the Bell Multi-Site Manager Rosana DeArcos, who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education through BVU’s Online Programs. “I have felt supported since the beginning of this journey and continue to be supported, so I recommend it to anyone wanting to go to college to pursue a career.”
BVU has long enjoyed strong educational ties in and around Sioux City, home to Western Iowa Tech Community College, a campus that has collaborated with BVU for decades. Students enrolled in a program through WITCC can seamlessly transfer their credits toward their bachelor’s degree at BVU. Students receive personalized support including admissions and enrollment counseling and academic advising right in Sioux City through BVU’s office on the WITCC campus.
“Buena Vista University is excited to join forces with Siouxland Human Investment Partnership through our Strategic Partnerships initiative,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “We look forward to seeing SHIP’s employees and their family members strengthen their careers through education while benefiting their communities and the people they serve.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.