Community Education, Experiential Education, and E.C.F.E. were all at the City of Albert Lea Safety Night. We were able to get ALPD and ALFD to pose with some of the preschool books E.C.F.E. was giving out related to their careers.. It was a great night distributing program information, educating on lifejacket safety, and giving our approximately 80 books to families.

Community Access Days article published in the Albert Lea Tribune on September 11, 2026:

https://www.albertleatribune.com/news/administrators-corner-community-access-days-in-albert-lea-open-doors-to-community-experiences-for-families-520b79ad

Community Education staff were included in a recent article by Nonjabulo Mlangeni, "How Blue Zones Project Albert Lea Birthed a Decade of Change - and They're Not Done Yet". Experiential Education Coordinator Alex Hagen and Community Education Director John Double were interviewed regarding places in Albert Lea that supported the Blue Zones Mission in our community. We thank the City of Albert Lea for including us in this great opportunity to highlight our Community. We also wish to thank everyone that has been a part of this journey since before 2009 and the amazing impacts it has had community-wide. The article is linked below.

https://www.bluezones.com/2026/08/how-blue-zones-project-albert-lea-birthed-a-decade-of-change-and-theyre-not-done-yet/

We wisht to thank Principal Adams for the invitation to the 2026 Hawthorne Resource Fair. They ordered up some amazing weather, delicious pizza, and had an amazing family turn-out for the event. Community Education appreciated being invited and brought new books to give out from ECFE, information about our upcoming Community Access Days from Experiential Education, program information from Adult Education, and our newly released Community Education books with enrichment opportunities for all ages.

Community Education's Experiential Education programming partnered with several community sponsors to provide Community Access Days for our community. The initial sponsors of the Mayo Clinic Health Systems and the DayBreaker Kiwanis of Albert Lea provided twelve opportunities to access the Community Education Rock Gym and Boathouse facilities over the Summer serving over 300 people with no participant cost!

They have now been joined by the Art & Jaris Smith Family Community Fund (affiliate of the Freeborn County Communities Foundation) and Freeborn-Mower Electric Company Operation Round-up extending these opportunities into the Spring of 2027.

We thank all of these sponsors for being a part of providing these opportunities free to community members to improve health and wellness, help to prevent chronic diseases, and provide increased opportunities for lifelong learning and experiences.

🎉 Celebrating Success at Today’s Adult Education Celebration! 🎓 Today, we honored our English Learner students as they received their Certificate of Achievement for impressive growth in English language acquisition. We also recognized our students who earned their GED—a truly remarkable milestone! There were 20 students this year that achieved their GED. We’re so proud of all our Adult Education learners for their dedication and hard work. If you or someone you know is interested in earning a GED or advancing English skills, contact Albert Lea Adult Education at 507-379-4866 to learn more about our programs and how we can help you reach your goals! https://brookside.alschools.org/adult-education

🎓✨ Today was a joyful milestone for our preschool scholars!🎓✨ We celebrated preschool graduation in the Brookside gymnasium, where the bleachers were packed with proud families and smiling friends. It was a special moment recognizing the growth and accomplishments of our Early Learning students throughout the year! 💙❤️💙Congratulations to our Early Learning students — the future is bright and this is just the beginning! ❤️💙❤️

🏆 Celebrating Industry Excellence! 🏆 Today in Rochester, the Southeast Service Cooperative hosted its annual Industry Partner of the Year award ceremony—an event recognizing outstanding partnerships that support student career exploration and workforce development. Among the honorees was Albert Lea’s own Lou-Rich, Inc. Lou-Rich has been a long-standing and exceptional partner with Albert Lea High School, providing students with hands-on manufacturing learning experiences, material support for the ALHS Welding Lab, and in-depth facility tours for our students that inspire future careers. As a state-approved Youth Skills Training partner, Lou-Rich plays a key role in preparing our students for success in high-demand fields. We are proud to celebrate Lou-Rich’s commitment to education, innovation, and the next generation of skilled workers! Pictured are Lou-Rich staff along with ALHS Teacher, Mr. Jeff Jenson (far right).

🚁 Take Flight with Discover Drones! 🚁 Curious about drones and how they work? Join us for Discover Drones, a hands-on summer camp where students will explore flight technology, build and pilot their own drones, and learn the science behind unmanned aerial systems! 📅 Dates: June 2nd – June 6th 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon 📍 Location: Albert Lea High School, Room F203 This is an exciting opportunity for students to engage with STEM in a fun, dynamic way. Spaces are limited, so don’t wait! 👉 Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4m3SKBn

Albert Lea Area Schools will be closed Tuesday, January 21st. All buildings will be closed. This is an E-learning day. Watch for messages to be sent by your school principal for e-Learning day instructions. After school activities will proceed as scheduled unless notified by a coach/advisor.

The Wall of Inspiration has been a part of Albert Lea High School since 2004, created by the Kuphal family to honor members of the school community who have inspired others to achieve more than they believed possible. The wall was established in memory of Josh Kuphal, an Albert Lea High School graduate who inspired many of his peers. Although Josh has passed away, his legacy endures through this meaningful tribute. The motto of the wall is, 'Be the change you want to see.' This motto serves as a guiding principle for living a life marked by kindness, generosity of time and energy, and selflessness — putting others before oneself. Please consider nominating someone that has made a difference in our community! Click here to nominate today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNHeWeTeXpSopoMpqtiYUzvWVnHqBTLUaDi_y0wbXKcKdDSw/viewform

🎉 Girls Varsity HOME Section Soccer Game 🎉 ⚽Come support our ALHS Tigers as they take on Stewartville! ⚽ 📅 Thursday 🕖 7 PM 📍 Hammer Stadium 🎟️ Admission: Adults: $8 Students: $5 🚫 This is a Region 2A playoff game - no passes or senior citizen discounts. Let’s pack the stands and cheer on our girls! 💪⚽❤️💙❤️💙

**🎉 Join Us at the Tiger Spirit Festival – Happening NOW! 🐯** The fun is in full swing, and you don't want to miss it! Bring your family and friends to the **Tiger Spirit Festival** at the **North Parking Lot of the high school**, going on **now until 6pm**! Enjoy games, music, and lots of Tiger Pride! 🎶🍔🎈 Let’s celebrate together and show our Tiger Spirit!

🎉🏈 What a perfect day for our Homecoming Parade! The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the community spirit was strong! Thank you to everyone who came out to support our teams and show your Tiger pride. Whether you were in the parade or cheering from the sidelines, you made today one to remember. Let’s keep the energy going this week!

Join us this afternoon for the Albert Lea Homecoming Parade at 4:30 PM! Show your school spirit and cheer on our Tigers as they march through town! 🐾💙❤️ 📍 Parade Route: Start at Central Park, Up Marion Ross St, Down Broadway, Back on William St, Bring your family and friends for a fun afternoon celebrating our community and school pride! Let's make this Homecoming unforgettable! See you there! 🙌

🚗 Fundraiser Alert: Drive for Albert Lea Area Schools! 🚗 Stop by Dave Syverson Auto Center (2310 East Main Street) on Saturday, September 28th, from 10 AM to 3 PM for an exciting fundraiser benefiting Albert Lea Area Schools. Take a spin in a new Ford vehicle, and for every test-drive completed, Ford will donate $20 to our schools – up to $6,000 total per event! 🙌 A little drive could go a long way in supporting our students. Register your test drive now at: 👉 https://d4urs.com/974RP

We would like to update parents and guardians on a social media post that has been misinterpreted across the nation.  When we learned of this initial post that had a school named Southwest on it, we immediately contacted our school resource officers, Officer Huse & Officer Conn. Upon investigating, we were informed that there is an underperforming list of Georgia schools circling around Snapchat.  The “targeted assistance” list included a school named Southwest Middle School that was to receive targeted academic supports.  Unfortunately, the misinformation led to some putting this information on social media with the wrong information and context.  At no point were Albert Lea Area Schools identified nor in danger.   We will continue to make our students and staff our top priority by ensuring their safety. We value and appreciate the support from Albert Lea Police Department and Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and will continue to partner with them to ensure the safety of students and staff members.   Thank you for your continued support of the Albert Lea Area Schools.

The 2024-2025 school year is off to a fantastic start! The weather was gorgeous, and the energy was high as we welcomed our amazing students back to campus. From excited smiles to new friendships, today was filled with joy, learning, and the promise of a great year ahead. Thank you to our dedicated staff, enthusiastic students, bus drivers, and supportive families for making the first day unforgettable. A special thank you to the School Board members who were also present at the buildings to welcome back students! Here's to a year of growth, discovery, and success!

It's almost time to kick off the 2024-2025 school year with the start of classes, and we’re excited to welcome our students back! We had great turnouts at last week’s open houses, and our teachers and staff are eagerly preparing for this week's open houses. Monday: Halverson, Hawthorne, Lakeview, and Sibley Elementary Schools: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Southwest Middle School: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Early Learning (Brookside Education Center): 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Tuesday: Area Learning Center (Brookside Education Center): 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Be sure to follow Albert Lea Area School District on our new Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/AlbertLeaAreaSchoolDistrict