The FIRE Foundation of Northwest Iowa awarded MicroGrants to six Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City: Bishop Heelan High School, Cathedral Dual Language Academy PK-5, Holy Cross PK-8 School, Gehlen Catholic, Kuemper Catholic, and Sacred Heart K-8 schools. Administrators and staff utilized the one-time funding to attend the 2025 Inclusion in Action Conference in Kansas City.
Many attendees agreed the most immediate and significant takeaway was the exploration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. Administrators and teachers learned how AI could adapt educational materials and readings to the students’ corresponding grade level. Paula Hamp, Bishop Heelan’s Director of Student Services, explained, “Educators can effectively scaffold learning by adjusting the complexity of questions, generating tailored rubrics, and streamlining the development of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lessons, to foster a more inclusive and accessible educational environment.”
Hamp’s counterparts at Gehlen Catholic echoed her comments. Special Education Strategist, Anita Collier, added, “AI assists students with disabilities feel included with their peers even though they may be learning at a different level.”
For Jody Ferris, Principal at the Cathedral Dual Language Academy, her primary takeaway was implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the classrooms. “UDL encourages the use of diverse teaching strategies,” Ferris said, “that accommodate different learning styles and abilities. By incorporating flexible methods of presentation, engagement, and assessment, educators can create more inclusive lessons that benefit all students—not just those with special needs—by fostering greater accessibility, participation, and success.”
All the schools believe more work needs to occur around UDL. Kuemper Catholic’s Special Education Teacher, Jennifer Roose, concluded UDL is a best practice which works for ALL kids. “It must be a priority,” she concluded.
Dr. Ryan Allen, FIRE Foundation of Northwest Iowa Board President, was excited to see ‘Inclusion’ already ‘in Action’ in the respective schools. He and the board look forward to seeing these schools take more steps towards inclusive classrooms and schools as the needs continue to grow.
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