JAEI’s Dani Carter Helps Shape Iowa’s Future Social Studies Standards

Author: Cathy Essick
Community Involvement
Published: Thursday, 20 Nov 2025

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Image caption: Dani Carter visiting the Iowa Department of Education to advance real-world learning opportunities for Iowa students

JAEI’s Dani Carter Helps Shape Iowa’s Future Social Studies Standards

Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa’s (JAEI) Content and Curriculum Director, Dani Carter, was recently selected as one of just 22 education professionals statewide to help review the proposed updates to Iowa’s Social Studies standards. Her participation reflects not only her deep expertise in curriculum design but also her long-standing commitment to supporting student success across Iowa.

A Strong Foundation in Education

A Cedar Rapids native, Dani graduated from Washington High School before earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Middle School Generalist from Clarke University in Dubuque. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Education Leadership, along with specialized training as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and endorsements in Special Education (Strat 1 and Strat 2).

With 15 years of experience in the education field, Dani has served as both a general and special education teacher and spent four years at Grant Wood AEA supporting educators across the region. She joined JAEI in April 2024, where she now leads the development of Junior Achievement’s iconic kit-based programs, supports volunteer recruitment, and helps educators deliver meaningful real-world learning experiences.

Her passion has always been clear: preparing students for the real world and ensuring teachers have the tools and support to make learning impactful.

Contributing to Statewide Standards That Shape Every Classroom

Dani’s recent work with the Iowa Department of Education reflects that commitment at a statewide level. As a member of a small five-person review team, she focused on Kindergarten–5th grade Social Studies standards, contributing to phase four in a comprehensive five-phase adoption process.

The team reviewed feedback gathered from public forums, a statewide survey, and a formal letter from The Civics Alliance. For each recommended change, Dani and her fellow team members compared the feedback to the proposed standard and collectively determined whether to adopt or deny the suggestion. When feedback called for clarity or timeline adjustments, the team worked to refine language so that teachers could implement the standards more effectively and confidently.

The next step in the process is presenting the final working document to the Iowa Board of Education for approval.

Returning to Her Roots as an Educator

For Dani, the experience offered a meaningful reconnection to her years in the classroom.

“Reviewing standards and being intentional about scope and sequence is something I’ve always loved,” she shared. “This opportunity put me back into that ‘educator mindset’ and reignited my passion for supporting students.”

Strengthening Junior Achievement’s Impact Across Eastern Iowa

Her involvement has direct benefits for Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa’s work in schools. After two full days of reviewing, discussing, and refining the K–5 standards, Dani now has deep insight into how districts will interpret and implement them.

“Having this level of understanding will make our conversations with districts even more impactful,” she said. “I can speak directly to how Junior Achievement programming supports these standards and complements what teachers are already doing in the classroom.”

This knowledge strengthens JAEI’s role as a strategic education partner—ensuring programs like JA BizTown® Mobile, JA Finance Park® Mobile, and Junior Achievement classroom curriculum continue to align meaningfully with what students are learning in school.

Impacting Every Student and Teacher in Iowa

Perhaps most inspiring is the statewide significance of this work.

“The standards we reviewed will influence every teacher and every student in the state of Iowa,” Dani noted. “To know I’ve played a part in something that touches every classroom is incredibly exhilarating.”