This special scholarship partnership was created last year to help provide opportunities for academically outstanding and dedicated Yankton Sioux Tribal students and non-traditional students to obtain a scholarship to help ensure they begin down the path of success. “Training For Success” is the focus of this scholarship and the deadline for applications is quickly approaching.

This scholarship is a partnership that provides educationally motivated students with the full cost of tuition, books, fees, a laptop computer and the required tools for their educational program over a two year period. The scholarships are valued at approximately $18,000. This type of scholarship is often referred to as a “full ride scholarship”. This is a new scholarship and represents a historical step for the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the technical institutes involved with the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. This scholarship is unique as most scholarship partnerships involve business and industry.

The goal of this scholarship is to encourage and support qualifying and motivated Yankton Sioux Tribe students to successfully complete a Build Dakota Scholarship training program and then become gainfully employed in that profession within South Dakota when completed for a period of three years. Scholarship recipients are not required to return to the area, but it always hoped that they will choose to do so a some point in their working life.

To become qualified to apply for the scholarship, students must have earned a minimum of 2.5 GPA in high school, have a good high school attendance history, be involved in positive school and/or community activities as this helps to show they are clearly motivated to work towards success. To be seriously considered for the scholarship students must be accepted into a qualifying Build Dakota program at Mitchell Technical Institute, Southeast Technical Institute or Lake Area Technical Institute, completed the application process for the Build Dakota Scholarship Program at the institution and completed the Yankton Sioux Tribe and Build Dakota Partnership Scholarship application. The scholarship application deadline is January 10, with applications available from the Wagner, Lake Andes and Wagner High School Counselors office or by contacting Dana Sanderson at 605-491-0804.

As can be seen in the requirements and expectations of this scholarship, the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Build Dakota partnership has set a very clear qualification and educational bar to meet and it relates directly to what is needed to be successful in todays educational and workplace world as well. When designing the partnership requirements and expectations, those involved in the process spent a great deal of time reviewing what creates successful students. Enough praise cannot be given for the quality of leadership and support from the Yankton Sioux Tribe Chairman and the Business and Claims Committee members and the technical institutions as well in agreeing to becoming partners with the Build Dakota Scholarship program. Looking into the future and helping to build a real road to success is key to the future of our young people. Watching students succeed and fail over the past 40 plus years has taught us a great deal about what it takes to develop educational success and this has helped in the development of this educational scholarship plan.

For questions and information about what is needed to take this step to “Training For Success” please contact Dana Sanderson at 605-491-0804 or at danasanderson51@gmail.com Remember the deadline to apply is January 10.