Alumnus named Iowa Advocate of the Year

(Editor’s note: The following article was republished with permission of the Oelwein Daily Register. Jeff Merkle earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UIU in 2010 and a master’s degree in education from UIU in 2012. He and his wife, UIU Dean of Students Jean Merkle, have three children, Tabitha, Eiler and Bethany.)

Jeff Merkle of Oelwein (Iowa) Community School District has received the Iowa Advocate of the Year Award.

Each year, the Iowa Afterschool Alliance Afterschool Champions Awards honor individuals or organizations that believe strongly in the importance of afterschool programs and are willing to provide tangible support to the issue, as well as outstanding students who demonstrate the positive effects of afterschool programs.

The Advocate of the Year is the single individual or organization that has been the most active and vocal advocate for afterschool and out-of-school time over the past year. This year, the Iowa Afterschool Alliance has honored Merkle with this award. Merkle has made a significant impact on our youth and families through afterschool programming all year long.

The award will be presented at lunch the opening day of the 2019 Impact After School Conference on Thursday, April 25, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Ramada Tropics Resort and Conference Center in Des Moines.

The Oelwein Community and Iowa Afterschool Alliance are honored to recognize Merkle’s contribution to afterschool in our state.

Guidance Counselor and Project Director of the before and after school program, Barb Schmitz, said, “Mr. Merkle has given the before and after school program (Husky Adventures), creative ideas in all areas of the academic development, social emotional programming and has been a tremendous role model for our children.”