Benefits of Cooperative Purchasing
Purchasing in a cooperative environment, such as the Iowa Educators Consortium, brings about many benefits and savings outside of just dollars and cents. By taking advantage of the services and products the IEC has to offer, your school can . . . read more
Last Chance to Save on Microsoft Products for Home/Personal Use
Microsoft to drop aggressive discounts for teachers and students on Office and Windows titles in March. For several years the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC), in partnership with Microsoft and JourneyEd, has provided teachers, . . . read more
Winter 2011 Paper Buy Extended
Ordering is Open Through January 13
Happy New Year! As a gift to help ease our clients back into the hustle and bustle of day to day business, the IEC is pleased to announce that the ordering window for the Winter 2011 statewide paper buy has been extended! Orders . . . read more
Save Money During the Holidays with the IEC
The winter holidays are right around the corner. It is never too early to begin your holiday shopping and this year, let the IEC help. Before you pay full retail price for the latest gizmos and gadgets, be sure to check out the personal . . . read more
Ordering is Open for Winter 2011 Paper Buy
The IEC is proud to announce The Paper Corporation as the awarded vendor for the IEC’s Winter 2011 bulk paper buy. Of the five vendors submitting proposals, The Paper Corporation was awarded as the best value with the lowest overall price. . . . read more
Come See What We are all About!
The IEC will be exhibiting at the 2011 Fall ISAC and IASB conferences.
The IEC is hitting the road! Come see us in Coralville as we exhibit at the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) 2011 Fall School of Instruction. Held at the Coralville Marriott on November 16th and 17th, the IEC will . . . read more
A Quality Website = Good PR
Students and parents today expect to find relevant information online. Learn how SOCS and the Foundation for Educational Services can help you establish your website as a reliable source for school information so that your . . . read more
Ordering is Open for Fall 2011 Bulbs and Ballasts
Order deadline is November 18, 2011
In a partnership with Adventure Lighting, Inc. in Des Moines, the IEC is ready to announce that the bulb and ballast order guides are now ready and available online for fall 2011 orders. The use of this order guide will give you . . . read more
We Need Your Feedback!
Help Us Improve by Taking Our Customer Service Survey
T he Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) works hard to help Iowa schools save time and money by providing voluntary, statewide cooperative purchasing programs. We want to hear how we are doing. Please help us make our purchasing . . . read more
Come See the IEC at the 2011 Iowa Library Association Conference
Are you planning on attending the 2011 Iowa Library Association conference later this month? If so, be sure to stop by the IEC’s exhibit booth for fun and games, snacks and to learn more about how we can help your school or . . . read more
September Deals from CDW-G
For a few years now, CDW-G and the Iowa Educators Consortium/AEPA have come together to bring you exclusive pricing on the latest computer and technology related products. During the month of September, the IEC and CDW-G bring you a great . . . read more
Stay Ahead of Concussions with School Health
With the fall sports season well underway, the timing is perfect to make sure your school or organization is ready to deal with the inevitable common sports injuries. From sore muscles and sprains to minor cuts, bumps, bruises and more, . . . read more
Lunch & Learn Seminars
Feat. Paper Corporation/First Choice Distribution
In an effort to offer value added services in addition to competitive discounts on quality products and services, please join us for lunch on Tuesday, September 13 in Johnston or Thursday, September 15 in Cedar Falls. Learn about some . . . read more
Start the Year Right and Save with the Iowa Educators Consortium!
Despite the date on the calendar, for many, the end of summer was announced with the first ring of that school bell. We at the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) would like to warmly welcome back all of the students, faculty and education . . . read more
Save On All Your Home Office or Back to School Needs!
OfficeMax and the IEC are pleased to offer the Employee Purchase Program to the employees of the K-12 Schools. This program was designed for IEC/K-12 employees to be able to take advantage of the excellent savings . . . read more
Come See Us at SAI
The IEC is hitting the road! Come see us in Des Moines at the School Adminstrators of Iowa’s annual conference on August 3rd at the Polk County Convention Complex. The IEC will have a staffed booth in the exhibit area and would . . . read more
Benefits of Cooperative Purchasing
Purchasing in a cooperative environment, such as the Iowa Educators Consortium, brings about many benefits and savings outside of just dollars and cents. By taking advantage of the services and products the IEC has to offer, your school can . . . read more
Last Call for Savings: Kurzweil 3000 and Mayer Johnson
This is a final call to simultaneously help your district financially and your students academically! June 30, 2011 marks the last date to purchase Kurzweil 3000 software and Mayer Johnson products (Boardmaker, etc.) using IEC bid-pricing. . . . read more
Extra Inventory? Buy, Sell and Trade with the IEC!
As school comes to an end and summer begins, many schools find themselves cleaning out classrooms, closets, warehouses and more in efforts of getting rid of unwanted items that have been accumulating over the years. Many times, this . . . read more
Point Nationwide Helps Iowa Customers ‘Buy Local’
Partnership with Storey Kenworthy Keeps IEC School Purchases in Iowa
One of the IEC’s newest vendor partners is Point Nationwide. Awarded a contract through the IEC’s participation with AEPA in January, Point Nationwide exists to serve all of your office supply and product needs with a local twist. . . . read more
Improve Communication using a Website Content Management System
Edline Webinars November 8th & 10th
Learn how your school can have an affordable and innovative website using a system that does not require programming or markup language knowledge. Competitive discounts available through the IEC! Edline solutions . . . read more
Spring 2011 AV/Computer Catalog is Up and Running!
The Spring 2011 AV/Computer Co-op is up and running! Bid requests were sent to over 150 vendors across the U.S. and Canada. 50 of those vendors were awarded products that are now included in the AV/Computer Co-op’s online and . . . read more
What's Your Print Carbon Footprint?
Find out with the HP Eco Solutions Program!
With all the discussion on cutting energy usage in the data center, you might want to look to your printing and imaging devices to further drive down your energy costs and consumption. The HP Eco Solutions Program gives you top tips . . . read more
Stay Informed with the IEC
In efforts to help our clients stay on top of all the services we provide, the IEC occasionally sends out email communications to school principals, business managers and superintendents via list servs we have created from AEA contact lists. . . . read more
NWAEA Co-op Transition to IEC
Earlier this year, Northwest announced that their purchasing co-op in Sioux Center would be closing effective Fall 2011. As a result, Northwest AEA and the IEC have combined efforts in order to continue . . . read more
New IEC Offerings for 2011
In addition to actively bidding our own contracts, the IEC is also an active and participating member of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA). As such, the IEC is able to provide schools with a plethora of services and . . . read more
IEC Welcomes Continental Clay
Continental Clay (Minneapolis, MN) has been awarded the IEC clay and glaze bid for 2011. The new clay and glaze price list, freight and ordering instructions can be found on Continental Clay's IEC online profile . The IEC vendor . . . read more
New Products to Keep Your School Healthy
Coughing? Sniffling? Sneezing? No, this isn’t the beginning of a cold medicine commercial. It’s the sounds being heard throughout the halls of schools and office buildings everywhere. Not only does January throw us into a brand new year, . . . read more
Affordable and Innovative School Websites-Anyone Can Do It!
Competitive discounts and multiple vendor partners now available through the IEC
Are you looking for an easy and affordable way to update your website? Want to improve communication and involvement between teachers, parents, students and your community? Want to convince families moving to your area to choose your . . . read more
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Now Available
Be more productive with the latest version of Microsoft Office products for your Mac. Recently released Office:mac 2011 is now available for a great price via the IEC Software Store powered by JourneyEd (for personal purchases) and Academic . . . read more
IEC Awards New Janitorial Vendors for 2011
First Choice and Martin Bros. Win IEC RFP
The results are in. Effective January 1, 2011, the IEC will be offering guaranteed pricing and exceptional discounts from two janitorial supply vendors, both located in Iowa. Many responses to the RFP were received and First Choice . . . read more
IEC Helps AEA 267 Schools Continue to Save Money
In light of the AEA 267 Co-op closing, the IEC communicates to schools the benefits of just-in-time ordering.
Earlier this year, AEA 267 announced that their purchasing co-op in Marshalltown would be closing effective Fall 2010. As a result, AEA 267 and the IEC have combined efforts in order to continue offering AEA 267 schools the best in bid . . . read more
AEA 267 Co-op Transition to IEC
Earlier this year, AEA 267 announced that their purchasing co-op in Marshalltown would be closing effective Fall 2010. As a result, AEA 267 and the IEC have combined efforts in order . . . read more
IEC Light Bulb and Ballast Orders Due November 19
Don’t be left in the dark! Order forms for the 2010 IEC fall order of light bulbs and ballasts are due November 19. Prime vendor for this contract is Adventure Lighting. All schools should have received an order guide via mail in . . . read more
Free Adobe eSeminar: Creating College and Career Readiness
Teach students the skills they need with Adobe. Adobe solutions for career and technical education (CTE) help educators teach digital communication skills and provide the practical experience students need to thrive in the global . . . read more
SchoolDude Survivor Tour Comes to Iowa
Iowa schools and businesses are facing one of the toughest budget environments in history. It's time to sharpen your survival skills, and SchoolDude wants to help by hosting the 2010 Survivor Tour! SchoolDude is coming to Iowa on . . . read more
IEC Seeks Proposals
As many of you are busy with the start of a new school year, the IEC is also busy seeking proposals for two of our purchasing services. Request for proposals (RFP) are currently being sought for our janitorial supplies category and . . . read more
Learn More for Less with Lynda.com
With many schools facing budget cuts across the board, finding the money for new software or program upgrades can be tough. As if that weren’t enough, once programs are purchased and it comes time to actually learn how to use the software, . . . read more
SchoolReach Parent Contact Can Reduce Unexcused Absences
Taking attendance and notifying parents of unexcused absences has been a dreaded daily ritual for school administrators since the very first school day. Great strides have been made on the "taking" side, with advances in school information . . . read more
Save Money on Special Education Resources
Save money this fall on all your school’s special education needs with Pocket Full of Therapy, an IEC and AEPA vendor partner. Pocket Full of Therapy is a catalog, mail order and internet order company that specializes in . . . read more
Reduce Energy Costs, Save a Teacher
Many facilities are facing infrastructure concerns that include inefficient, outdated systems. Iowa’s Office of Energy Independence (OEI) introduces Building Energy $mart (BE$T). Their first step is improving energy efficiency in Iowa’s . . . read more
Enter the “Oldest Product” Contest and Win Bretford Furniture
Bretford products are known for their dependability and longevity. They are made with high quality materials, manufactured in the USA and built to last for decades. For the last 60-plus years, Bretford has been making tables, carts, shelving . . . read more
Free Computer Recycling Program from Apple
This spring, Apple will recycle your school’s old, unwanted Mac computers, PCs, and qualifying peripherals from any manufacturer — for free. There’s no purchase required, and all accredited K–12 and higher education institutions with . . . read more
Lunch Debt Collection Made Easy with SchoolReach
Lunch Debt Collection – A More Palatable Approach As the school year comes to a close, school administrators, business managers and food service managers can find themselves staring at a full plate of lunch debt. Some . . . read more
New Discounts for AV & Computer
The IEC AV & Computer Co-op is proud to announce the addition of several vendors offering discounts on their entire product catalogs or certain products. Take advantage of these great money saving opportunities the next time you are in . . . read more
We Want to Hear From You!
One of our main goals here at the IEC is to find new ways to better serve our schools and clients in addition to improving upon our current practices. We encourage and welcome any type of feedback that you may have. As the end of another . . . read more
April Webinars for Parent Notification Services
The IEC is proud to announce a schedule of upcoming webinars to better inform you on a new area of savings we are providing. Under the ‘School Administration’ category, you will see three vendors who offer automated parent notification . . . read more
IEC Teacher and Student Buys
Did you know that some of the IEC contracts are available for your personal use? Well, now you do! Many of our vendors have agreed to extend their discounts to include not only school-based purchases, but personal purchases made by Iowa . . . read more
New Products and Services for 2010
Being an active and participating member of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), the IEC is able to provide schools with a plethora of services and product offerings at an aggressive discount. As a result, we are proud . . . read more
Get Credit for Recycling Old PCs
Midwest Electronic Recovery, with Iowa locations in Clive and Walford, would like to help you remain within your budget by offering environmentally responsible electronic waste recycling services with credits back for select pieces of . . . read more
School Spotlight: Glenwood's New High School
In the fall of 2009, the Glenwood, Iowa community celebrated the opening of its new high school – a project that had several delays in construction over a two year period. Upon approaching the new Glenwood High School, you see a . . . read more
IEC Partner Wins Customer Service Award
This past November, OfficeMax, a leading supplier of office supplies/services and long time partner with the IEC, was awarded the Service Quality Measurement Group’s (SQM) most prestigious award for customer service. Scoring the highest . . . read more
Customer FAQs
What is the IEC? How is the IEC funded? How does the IEC get such aggressive discounts? How do I know I am receiving quality products? What organizations are eligible to purchase through the IEC? How do I become a member of . . . read more
Vendor FAQs
How do I become an IEC vendor partner? What are the lengths of IEC contracts? What type of marketing support does the IEC provide? What are the advantages with partnering with the IEC? How do I become . . . read more
What is the Iowa Educators Consortium?
The Iowa Educators Consortium, IEC, is an initiative of the Iowa Area Education Agencies. Iowa AEAs formed the IEC as an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit institution supporting the mission of the Area Education Agencies. The primary . . . read more
