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SIOUX FALLS – Two expanding grassroots efforts are supporting South Dakota schools by providing kids with experiences they might not otherwise receive. Among them: a Book-A-Month Club, field trips, family engagement nights, staff and teacher appreciation and post-graduate readiness workshops. One such program is Sioux Falls-based Promising Futures Fund, created in 2019 by Steve Hildebrand. ADVERTISEMENT Hildebrand said after leaving his long career in politics, he grew concerned with rising poverty in the Sioux Falls School District and was inspired to create the fund that's expanding to Rapid City. Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of the Rapid City School District, said that Hildebrand reached out to her district about a year ago. Current programs in her district include Book-A-Month Club, field trip experiences, family engagement nights and a staff and teacher appreciation meal or celebration. She said by having these programs, children gain opportunities they may not otherwise receive. "In many cases, they have not had the opportunity to attend a high quality preschool or early childhood learning center. They may not have as many books in the home or have as high a vocabulary or as good of nutrition, all of those things impact their readiness to learn when they come to us in kindergarten," Thompson said. She said the programs being offered have been well received and she anticipates that they will keep positively benefiting her district. "Schools have very limited resources, and so we have to be creative in looking to our community for partnerships to help provide these types of opportunities and experiences for our students," Thompson said. Promising Futures Fund currently serves four elementary schools in the Rapid City District: General Beadle Elementary School, Horace Mann Elementary School, Norwood Elementary School and most recently Robbinsdale Elementary School. These are schools where 100% of students qualify for free and reduced lunches, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Back in Sioux Falls, Promising Futures Fund supports 21 schools – 14 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools – with the highest rates of poverty. Earlier this year, the program received a $100,000 dollar grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation. Tim Koehler, principal at George McGovern Middle School, said Promising Future's support has been instrumental in aiding various programs and activities for staff and students. These experiences take place both inside and outside the classroom. One project the program funded was a Boys and Girls Club. At present, the club serves more than 450 students from George McGovern Middle School and Memorial Middle School, with more than 100 students participating in its after-school program. Other experiences outside of the classroom include field trips that range from attending sports games to learning more about post-secondary education options. Ashley Crownover, a teacher and coach at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls, said that field trips to college campuses help encourage students to follow their dreams. "A lot of it is a big encouragement to students to just let them know that this is a possibility for you. No matter what your background is, you could go and get a college experience if you want to do that or pursue that," Crownover said. Poverty within South Dakota schools Hildebrand said Promising Futures Fund fills a vital need by providing in-school and outside-of-school resources that otherwise might not be available to some students. For example, disadvantaged children may start school later than their peers or lack reading and language skills. ADVERTISEMENT Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that statewide poverty rates vary. Small area and income poverty estimates (SAIPE) for 2024 show rates ranging from 2.1 to 57.1 detailed in the graphic below. Census.gov defines SAIPE as a model-based tool that provides single-year estimates of income and poverty for all U.S. states and counties. Larger ratios represent higher poverty, lower household incomes and a greater presence of economic need. Poverty within school districts can also be determined based on the percentage of children receiving free or reduced meal prices. According to the South Dakota Department of Education, students qualify for free or reduced meal prices by meeting certain income requirements or automatically qualify if they receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. Hildebrand said Sioux Falls has one of the highest school district poverty rates, supported by data from the South Dakota Board of Education's 2025-2026 fall enrollment census count. As someone who grew up in a poor family, Hildebrand said finding ways to support families in these districts means a lot to him. "I knew someday I'd want to find a way to give back in that same kind of capacity," Hildebrand said. Improving positive outcomes for students in South Dakota schools Aside from Promising Futures Fund, which primarily helps address students' needs while they are in school, programs also exist to prepare students for what comes next. ADVERTISEMENT One of these programs is Jobs for America's Graduates-South Dakota (JAG-SD), a state-supervised program that aims to help students achieve positive post-graduate outcomes. According to the 2025-2026 JAG-SD Impact Report, there were 20 JAG-SD programs in 13 school districts. The program was founded in Wagner Community and Andes Central school districts during the 2009-10 school year. Since then, it has expanded across many Native communities and more recently Brookings, Huron, Sioux Falls, Wilmot and Vermillion high schools. Chris Daugaard, a member of Friends of JAG-SD board of directors and partner in Ernst Capital Group, said the program is implemented in schools as an elective course. School personnel or JAG-SD specialists identify students who have at least six barriers to success and would benefit from the curriculum. He said barriers range from economic to occupational, and the average JAG-SD student faces over 10 barriers. While JAG-SD specialists identify eligible students, students must proactively decide to partake in the program. The program teaches students skills such as how to fill out forms for college such as federal student aid or college applications, how to create a resume, tips for applying to jobs and managing finances. The 2025-2026 impact report stated 657 students participated in JAG-SD last academic year. Eighty-nine were middle school students (grades 7-8), 352 were high school students (grades 9-11), 129 were high school seniors (grade 12) and 87 were follow-up students who graduated high school in 2025. ADVERTISEMENT Of all 87 follow-up students, defined as students who were in contact with their JAG-SD specialist at least once a month following graduation, 94% were in the workforce, 24% were enrolled in a two-year or technical college, 15% were enrolled in a four-year college and 1% were taking part in a certificate program or Job Corps. Daugaard said that by offering this program, JAG-SD specialists are supporting students who face barriers to success by preventing them from staying in a system that may inhibit them from doing so. He said teachers are not just there to teach but to support students every step of the way. — This story originally published on southdakotanewswatch.org.