EMPOWERING
LEADERS

LIFE LEADERS

FAMILY LEADERS

CAREER LEADERS

FREE career training. Land a new career in just 6 Months.

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Change Course

FREE TRAINING TO GET YOU ON THE PATH TO A NEW CAREER

Change Course is a career development program that provides training in highly sought-after skills along with leadership and personal development, to give people in Des Moines a way to stop living paycheck to paycheck and launch a career.

Affordable, effective, and short-term career training is almost impossible to find. Change Course has identified highly sought-after careers in our community. We offer free training and pay you to start a new career in as little as four months. Students who have completed the program in other areas of the country are earning on average more than $18 per hour in jobs with upward mobility and full benefits, including health care and paid vacation time.

Freedom Awaits

Change Course graduates complete the program with a new job skill, a livable wage career, and a strong sense of community and support. After graduation, Leaders join the Alumni Association where they will receive continued services, including financial coaching, professional development opportunities, and the opportunity to give back to future Leaders.

The Heart of Change Course

LEADERSHIP JOURNEY

Leaders apply and are accepted into a six-month-long program broken into three phases.

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GROWTH

The first 6 weeks of the program is dedicated to personal and professional growth. We don’t just want Leaders to land a job—we want them to be the best version of themself, so they can find a career that lasts!

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CERTIFICATION

Leaders work to complete a professional certification or pre-apprenticeship course in their selected career track.

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LAND THE JOB

Once Leaders complete the certification stage, they graduate the program by landing a job in their career track. We’ll work to connect them with employers and jobs that fit their skill set.

Tools for Development

  • One-on-one coaching sessions
  • 100+ hours of personal development
  • Up to 35 life and career skills taught

If you’d like more information regarding Change Course, click the button below.

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CAREER PROGRAMS

A better future awaits our leaders after they complete their chosen six-month career training program. Change Course offers 35 life and career skills that can be adjusted according to the need of the Des Moines area job market. Our corporate partners keep us informed of the skills they look for in good job candidates as their needs change.

CAREER PROGRAMS

A better future awaits our leaders after they complete their chosen six-month career training program. Change Course offers 35 life and career skills that can be adjusted according to the need of the Des Moines area job market. Our corporate partners keep us informed of the skills they look for in good job candidates as their needs change.

Energy Career with Change Course

Energy

Medical admistration

Medical Administration

Semi driver with CDL (Commercial drivers license)

Commercial Driver (CDL)

Information Technology (IT) Worker

Information Technology

Customer Service Representative

Customer Service

Construction Trades - Electrician working on building

Skilled Trades

Administration Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Certified nursing assistant (CNA)

Medical Healthcare

Culinary Services - Future Course

Culinary Services

Animal Care - Future Course

Animal Care

Customer Service Representative

Customer Service

Animal Care - Future Course

Animal Care

FREE career training with Change Course. Land a new career in just 6 Months.

If you’d like more information, click the button below.

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Our Mission

Our mission is to put an end to relational, economic, and spiritual poverties by giving hope, untapping creativity, and empowering participants with career skills surrounded by and involved in a loving community.

Our Intagram Feed

We had a fantastic time at Valley Church's Saints Alive event this week! Saints Alive is a monthly luncheon for seniors in our community to gather for fellowship and entertainment. Joseph had the opportunity to speak to the attendees and encourage them with the message of Change Course! We are so grateful to @valleychurchdm and the tremendous partnership they have provided since our inception.
This is the story of Trenton, a leader currently enrolled in our Epsilon 2025 class, in his own words: People always told me I was kind and thoughtful, but deep down, I struggled with self-worth and hid behind people-pleasing to feel better about myself. My childhood started in a loving, middle-class home, but everything changed when my dad’s health declined, leading to financial struggles and family conflict. After his unexpected passing when I was 16, I blamed myself and spiraled into deep depression. I turned to drinking, partying, and eventually drugs to escape the pain. My relationship with my mom fractured, and I was arrested multiple times, barely making it through school. I tried college but kept dropping out, stuck in a cycle of addiction and bad decisions. When I was introduced to drug dealing, it seemed like a way out, giving me money and security—but it was only pulling me deeper into a destructive life. Everything came crashing down in 2019 when I was arrested on federal charges. At my lowest, sitting in a jail cell, I was ready to give up—until I picked up a Bible that had mysteriously appeared on my bunk. For the first time, I truly felt God’s presence, and that moment changed my life. Through my time in prison, I stayed sober, dedicated myself to fitness, completed a rehab program, and even earned a dual associate’s degree. Most importantly, I repaired broken relationships with my family, who stood by me despite everything. By the time I was released, I had lost all material possessions, but I had gained something far more valuable—a renewed faith and a desire to live a better life. Since coming home, my family has supported me in rebuilding, but finding meaningful work has been my biggest challenge. I know my past makes people hesitant to take a chance on me, but I also know I have so much to offer. My cousin introduced me to Change Course, telling me about its mission and how it could help me get on the right path. I took a leap of faith and joined, and for the first time in years, I feel hopeful about my future. I’m ready to build a life where I put God and my family first, and I’m committed to making the most of this second chance.
This is the Story of Shianne, a Leader currently enrolled in our Epsilon 2025 class, in her words. _____ My name is Shianne, and I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where I was introduced to trauma and addiction at a very young age. Despite my mother’s recovery journey, I fell into substance abuse and unhealthy relationships as a teenager. My addiction to meth and dependence on abusive men led to years of instability, legal troubles, and multiple incarcerations. By the time I turned 30, I had served 18 months in prison and found myself in a cycle of relapse and broken relationships. Each attempt to escape my circumstances only led me deeper into despair until I finally decided to make a change. After my last incarceration, I chose to give my life to a higher power and paroled to The House of Mercy, where I began my journey toward sobriety and healing. Through treatment, church, and a commitment to self-growth at Change Course, I’ve learned to take responsibility for my life and validate my own worth. With 15 months of sobriety, I now surround myself with healthy, supportive people and focus on rebuilding my future. My goals are to maintain stability, create a strong foundation, and help others by sharing my story. Every day, I am grateful for the chance to continue my journey toward a better life.
Day 1 orders are all ready to go! All of our Agape Blend coffee is currently 50% off — and our stock is running low! It's among the best coffee we've ever tasted - it's organic, single origin, and as always, all proceeds go towards giving opportunity through education and empowerment to those in need of a second chance. Get your order in now while we've still got it in stock — and grab a matching Change Course mug while you're at it! 🙂 LINK IN BIO THERE IS HOPE IN THIS CITY!
For a limited time, our beloved Agape Blend Coffee is 50% off! We love this stuff so much, we want you all to try it. We have a very limited stock, so get yours while we've got it! LINK IN BIO! More info on Change Course Agape Blend Coffee: We partnered with Coffee For a Cause to bring you this incredible hand picked, single-origin medium/dark roast organic coffee from Guatemala. When we tell you it's delicious, we can guarantee it's an understatement! Comes in whole bean and ground. Also excellent as an espresso!
Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose dream reshaped history and whose words continue to inspire us to build a brighter, more just future. At Change Course, we carry forward his vision by empowering individuals to break cycles of poverty, prejudice, and despair through love, education, and opportunity. Dr. King believed that love is the ultimate connector—the foundation of community and the force that transforms lives. His words ring as true today as ever: 'Without love, there is no reason to know anyone, for love will, in the end, connect us.' In our work, we celebrate the beauty of diversity and the strength found in unity. Every story, every journey, every leader who steps through our doors reminds us that change is possible when we meet each other with compassion and grace. As we look to the future, let us continue to dream boldly and act courageously—knowing that, together, we are building communities where hope and transformation thrive.
This is the Story of Caleb, a Leader currently enrolled in our Epsilon 2024 class, in his words. _____ Growing up in a family devastated by the Meth Epidemic, I experienced neglect, trauma, and instability from a young age. An accident left me deaf in one ear, and I struggled with feelings of being unloved as I watched my parents and community succumb to addiction. Rebellion followed, and I began using drugs, getting involved in crime, and eventually ending up in the justice system. Although I became a father and held onto hope for a better life, my addiction and poor choices tore my family apart. I lost my home, my car, and the mother of my children, and I sank deeper into drug use, depression, and despair. After several failed attempts to turn my life around, I hit rock bottom with a DUI and drug psychosis. Realizing I needed help, I checked into a mental health unit and decided it was time to grow up and get clean. With determination, I started seeking recovery, eventually finding Change Course. Their program gave me the structure, community, and purpose I needed. Today, while my story isn’t over, I am committed to helping others who struggle with mental health and addiction, and I finally feel grateful for the chance to build a meaningful life.
The new year is upon us—and in many ways, 2025 feels uncertain. The world is in disrepair and hurting. Many in our communities are without homes, struggling with addiction, raising children alone, and some even wondering how they're going make it to the next day. That's exactly why Change Course exists. To love and empower those feeling hopeless; to give them new opportunities, healthy community, and tools to better understand and utilize their unique gifts to not only pull themselves out of difficulty, but to turn around and invest in their communities and give back what they have received in the process. 2025 may be a scary prospect to many—but to us, it's just more of a reason to spread the message of hope. We believe that this will be a year of transformation and prosperity—but there's alot of work to do. We are grateful to have all of you on the front lines with us! There is HOPE in this city!
From our CEO, Joseph: More than two years ago, the Lord brought Nicole Neal to us as one of our first employees at Change Course. She was incredibly instrumental in developing systems and processes, and she has been such a blessing to the organization. She has brought heart, compassion, determination and much needed order to the chaos. She self-titled herself the "Chaos Coordinator", which couldn't have been more fitting. Although we are sad to see her go, we are so excited for the new opportunity she has been given with DMARC United, a great organization that has the same heartbeat for those in generational poverty as we do at Change Course. Thank you, Nicole, for all you have done to help so many of the beautiful people God has brought through our doors at Change Course—we love you! You have been a blessing to all of us, and I know you will be to all you continue to encounter and influence.
Merry Christmas, and thank you all for your unending support. "Your being increases by the measure you give it away." – John Paul II www.change-course.org/support
On Tuesday, our Epsilon class had a community service day and volunteered at WesleyLife's "Meals on Wheels" hydroponic farm—where fresh greens are grown for Meals on Wheels’ meals. WesleyLife’s Meals on Wheels program provides meals to older adults and veterans of Polk and Dallas counties — and their staff personally deliver the meals, which serve not only nutritional needs, but often provide their only personal visit that day. Each year the program serves more than 1,500 individuals with home delivered meals and has already made 411,000 meals this year. The greens harvested in the farm have been included in more than 50,000 of those meals! Thank you to @wlifeia and Meals on Wheels for letting us come help out!
Epsilon headshot day was last week! Look how good they look! Such incredible people with BRIGHT futures. On to skills track training and certification classes!

FOUNDING SPONSORS

Foster Group - Change Course Founding Sponsor
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Foster Group - Change Course Founding Sponsor
Shindler Anderson Goplerud and Weese PC Logo
Foster Group - Change Course Founding Sponsor

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