Printer-Friendly Version

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

OPA Press Release: South Dakota School-to-Work Plan Wins $2 Million Grant [10/14/1998]

For more information call: (202) 401-6222

South Dakota's has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National School-to-Work Office (NSTWO) to implement a statewide plan. The NSTWO is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

South Dakota began designing its statewide School-to-Work system in 1994 with a development grant. That same year, the National School-to-Work Office awarded a competitive Urban Rural Opportunities Grant (which go to high-poverty areas) to the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative in Sturgis. In 1996, a second Urban/ Rural Opportunities Grant was awarded to the Cornerstone Career Learning Center in Huron.

"School-to-Work offers students the chance to see how high academic achievement relates to the working world," said Secretary Richard W. Riley. "Moreover, both the young people and adults involved in School-to-Work partnerships recognize that to succeed in the 21st century, we must be lifelong learners - open to new ideas and willing to master new skills."

"Every young person in America should have the opportunity to compete for the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman, "and School-to-Work provides those opportunities. I am pleased that the business community has recognized its role in preparing students for the challenges ahead by providing young people with relevant work experiences and by serving as mentors who both instruct and inspire."

South Dakota becomes the 46th state in the country to receive an implementation grant from the National School-to-Work Office which was established in 1994 through the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The Act, which passed with strong bi-partisan support, provides limited-year venture capital to states and communities working to establish School-to-Work partnerships. Those partnerships, comprised of students, educators, parents, employers, organized labor and community groups, work to better connect classroom subject matter with the workplace by providing students (and sometimes teachers) with opportunities for work-based learning -- internships, apprenticeships and job-shadowing. STW also encourages employers to become involved in classroom instruction and curriculum development so that students will have better understanding of how mastering academics is crucial to their success as adults.

Since 1994, South Dakota has received a total of $955,550 in STW development funds, and $2,011,954 in Urban/Rural Grants. Today's implementation grant is the first of a four- year commitment to the State which is slated to total $9.6 million. .

*Note to Editors; a one-page profile of South Dakota's School-to-Work system is attached.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

South Dakota's Governor, Bill Janklow, created the Workforce Development Council to coordinate and align a variety of the State's education reform and workforce development efforts. It is the Council that has major responsibility for the development and implementation of South Dakota's School-to-Work initiative.

The State hopes to meet four major goals through School-to-Work (STW).
1. Change how students are educated and prepared for work and further education.
2.Give students the chance to get high educational and occupational skills that will prepare them to enter a high skill/high wage workforce.
3.Transform classes and workplace into active learning environments with employers serving as mentors who encourage kids to stay in school.
4. Increase students opportunities for further education.

South Dakota has divided its STW system into four geographic regions, all of which must include a State University, a Job Service Office, a Career Learning Center, and at least one Native American Reservation. Plans call for 194 local partnership grants to be given out within those four regions so that all of South Dakota's 136,000 students will be served. Potential recipients include public schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs Schools and Alternative Schools that are designed to reach drop-outs.

Special attention has been focused on encouraging efforts to reach students in low-population areas. Summer Enrichment Camps offer business people the chance to mentor students for a week and teach them business management practices. Rural Entrepreneur Action Learning (REAL) brings opportunities for high skill/high wage jobs into the State's rural school systems. In high school, students receive instruction on entrepreneurship. They then survey the community's needs and develop a business accordingly. Finally, they are responsible for marketing, financing, and running the venture. Elementary and middle school students get an introduction to entrepreneurship through REAL's "Mind Your Own Business," a one to three day learning experience.

Across the state, all interest students K-16 will be offered age-appropriate STW experiences which emphasize the mastery of basics (reading, writing, mathematics), thinking skills, and technology skills. In elementary school, kids will be made aware of careers and exposed to the idea of entrepreneurship. In grades 6-10, students will be given a variety of career information, activities such a job-shadowing, computer simulations and career information, and summer work opportunities. Tenth graders are expected to develop an initial career plan. In grades 11 and 12, students are given the opportunity to apply academics in a worksite setting, develop school-based businesses and take vocational/technical courses. Additional training and academics are expected to be part of every education program.

Key partners include Wall Drug Store, Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Retailers Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, Associated School Boards of South Dakota, South Dakota Education Association, Daktronics, and Technology and Innovations in Education.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.