Scholarship Information

Eligibility and Guidelines

Ames Parks and Recreation Department offers scholarships for recreation programs based on the following criteria:

The recipient must be a resident of the city of Ames. A resident is defined as someone who resides within the city limits of Ames or a nonresident who owns a business or property within those limits and pays property taxes to the city.
Youth ages 4 to 13 are eligible.
Family income must meet guidelines predetermined by Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA).
Each eligible youth may receive up to $60 in assistance per calendar year. Families are responsible for 50% of the program registration fee, while the remaining 50% is covered through the scholarship.
To register, the head of household must submit their portion of the activity registration fee along with the Certification Form issued by MICA.
The following activities qualify for scholarship registration: basketball, dance, golf, gymnastics, soccer, group swim lessons, T-ball, tae kwon do, tennis, youth summer camp, and volleyball.

Scholarships are also available for seasonal swimming passes based on the following criteria:

Recipients must be residents of the city of Ames, as defined in criteria above.
Family income must meet guidelines predetermined by MICA.
All family pass members must reside in the same household.
To purchase a season pass, the head of household must submit 50% of the season pass fee along with the certification form issued by MICA.

A new scholarship form must be completed by MICA staff each calendar year and submitted to the Community Center along with the registration and payment.

For more information on certification guidelines and to complete the form, contact:

Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA)
230 SE 16th St.
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-956-3333
Website: micaonline.org

Support the Fund

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund to help others participate, please contact Courtney Kort, Recreation Superintendent, at courtney.kort@cityofames.org.

Scholarship Events

2025 Duck Derby Scholarship Event

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the 2025 Duck Derby Scholarship event. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, sponsors and participants, we raised $3,520 to support recreational scholarships for local youth. Your contributions help ensure that more children have access to enriching programs and activities that promote healthy development and community engagement. Whether you adopted a duck, volunteered your time or helped spread the word, you played a vital role in our mission. Thank you for making a meaningful impact on our community. We hope you’ll join us again next year—stay tuned for details on the 2026 Duck Derby!