For more than 50 years, Project Renewal has served as both a community anchor and a hands-on classroom for students from St. Ambrose University, forging a lasting partnership that continues to grow and evolve.
Founded on the principle of providing a safe and supportive environment for people in a variety of ways, Project Renewal’s focus over the years was directed toward youth. Project Renewal offers educational, recreational and social opportunities for children in grades K-12. The program's impact extends beyond the youth it serves, offering St. Ambrose students meaningful volunteer and professional experiences that shape their future careers.
“Students have come here to do volunteer hours, practicum hours, internships – or gain employment during the summer or throughout the year,” said Ann Schwickerath '99, executive director of Project Renewal and an alumna of St. Ambrose. “It’s been mutually beneficial. Our kids get needed support, and Ambrose students hone their skills, develop their leadership style and live out their values.”
Schwickerath, who began working at Project Renewal after earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, later pursued a degree in art education at St. Ambrose while continuing to work full time at the program.
“There was a natural alignment between the mission of St. Ambrose and the work we do here,” Schwickerath said. “Both are rooted in vocation, community, and service.”
The program, which has expanded in recent years, includes academic support, social-emotional learning, arts education, physical fitness, and health and wellness initiatives. Schwickerath said St. Ambrose students have been critical to helping these offerings flourish.
One recent example is a health and wellness initiative developed in collaboration with St. Ambrose’s Kinesiology Department. Students in the program applied their classroom learning directly at Project Renewal by leading fitness sessions with children.
“They met on campus for their academic class and came to us to implement what they were learning,” Schwickerath said. “It was hands-on experience for them and incredibly impactful for our kids.”
For Grace Bickle ‘25, ‘26 MSW, Project Renewal became more than just an internship – it became a second home.
“I had to do eight hours of volunteer work to be admitted into my academic program,” Bickle said. “I saw Project Renewal on the list and thought, ‘This seems pretty cool.’ I volunteered for a couple months, then worked the summer program – and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Her work includes providing academic support, leading health and wellness activities, helping with transportation, and planning enrichment experiences like STEM projects and basic life skills lessons. She spends most of her day engaging directly with youth, from serving meals and organizing crafts to offering one-on-one guidance and mentoring.
“It’s a lot of one-on-one work,” she said. “Summer is really busy, so we’re all hands-on with the kids all day.”
Because of the organization’s flexibility, Bickle was able to tailor her internship to her professional interests in social work and community engagement. She helped shape her responsibilities over time, finding ways to apply her classroom learning while supporting the needs of the program.
“I was able to develop my own role,” she said. “It didn’t feel like I was just checking off hours. I was contributing something meaningful and learning at the same time.”
She now hopes to stay at Project Renewal long-term.
“I always say I want to see the kids I started with in kindergarten graduate. Then a new group comes in, and I think, ‘Well, I’ll stay for them, too,’” Bickle said, laughing. “This is the dream.”
That sense of belonging resonates with many students, including Megan McConnaughay ‘25. Her first exposure to Project Renewal came through Kappa Delta Pi, the education honor society at St. Ambrose, which hosted volunteer events at the site.
“After volunteering, I fell in love with it,” McConnaughay said. “I ended up staying for two summers and doing volunteer work during the school year.”
Now preparing to teach fourth grade in Muscatine, McConnaughay credits Project Renewal with helping her build the skills she needs for the classroom.
“I’ve grown so much in classroom management, communication and understanding diversity,” she said. “If I hadn’t come here, I honestly don’t know how prepared I would be to teach.”
As Project Renewal continues to expand, Schwickerath is excited to grow the partnership with St. Ambrose even further. New programming focused on family support and chronic health risk reduction is underway, with the goal of strengthening both the neighborhood and the wider community.
“It’s all about that ripple effect,” she said. “We’re shaping future leaders – not only our youth who attend Project Renewal, but the Ambrose students who go on to be teachers, social workers, nurses, and more. Their time here helps them become the people our communities need. In fact, time at Project Renewal can help all of us become better people, I know it has done that for me.”
For students considering getting involved, Bickle offered a simple piece of advice: “It’s something you won’t regret. You get to be a kid, you get to help kids – and it’s the one job I’ve had that doesn’t feel like a job.”
