PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) and the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) unveiled a new college readiness website today. The site, OurDakotaDreams.com, offers resources to help students planning to pursue higher education. The comprehensive goal of the site is to provide information and opportunities for students, parents, and educators.
“We are so excited to launch this site and showcase the hard work of our education coalition with the students and educators of South Dakota,” said System Vice President of Academic Affairs Janice Minder. “The relationships built throughout this process are evident on the pages within the Our Dakota Dreams website.”
In addition to BOR and DOE, contributors included the South Dakota Board of Technical Education system, the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, and the nonprofit organization, Mapping Your Future. This collaboration allows the website to stretch beyond the walls of one representative and better the user experience. Visitors can access checklists for their respective age groups, learn more about the great public colleges and universities in South Dakota, and view scholarship information and upcoming events.
“This site will be an asset to those who want to take their education further than our K-12 system,” said Secretary of Education Joseph Graves. “It provides valuable information for students about how to make the most of their middle and high school courses to succeed in higher education.”
The website is only one of the initiatives created by the Our Dakota Dreams coalition. In addition, student resources on the site include free online tutoring during the academic year, information about career camps for 7th and 8th graders, and access to college readiness coursework. Educators can also find information about a leadership program for experienced teachers, apprenticeship offerings, and access to resources to help prepare students for post-secondary success.
To learn more about any of these programs and to view the new website, visit OurDakotaDreams.com. The website is funded, in part, with federal dollars available to DOE through the American Rescue Plan.