Jacobs receives excellence award from MCEA

Linda Jacobs puts the “community” in Community Education at Winona Area Public Schools. 

For more than 20 years, the enrichment coordinator has been a visionary when it comes to forging partnerships and providing opportunities for residents in Winona. She is a leader, an organizer and a cheerleader. 

And now, she’s a Minnesota Community Education Association award winner. 

Jacobs was named a 2025 MCEA Community Educator of Excellence Award Winner at the Fall Conference Awards luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 30 in Minneapolis. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions made by dedicated individuals across the state who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their communities, the field of community education, and the pursuit of collective learning.

“Linda understands the definition of community,” WAPS Director of Education Ann Riebel said. “Linda understands the value of having partnerships with other programs and knows that it enhances the opportunities for the adults she provides programming for.”

Jacobs has sought out partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Alliance of Mental Illness, Red Crosse, Winona State University, Winona County Human Services and countless private businesses in and around Winona. 

As the coordinator for Project COMPASS, the district’s adults with disabilities program, Jacobs finds ways to connect them with WAPS-sponsored events, like basketball games, as well as the outdoors, such as through fishing outings. She is also great at planning fun, engaging events like bingo nights and dance parties. 

“She is a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities,” Riebel said. “She is innovative in her programming.”
She has also mentored many social work majors over the years and helped them gain experience in potential career paths as well as growing their job skills. She’s also not afraid to ask for help from family members and friends when planning and hosting events — and she’s usually the first to offer help if she can give it. 

“Her willingness to go above and beyond is commendable,” Riebel said. “She truly makes the community a welcome place for all.”