American Rescue Plan

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) are dollars that were passed in March of 2021 by the Biden Administration. South Dakota Department of Social Services was awarded over $100,000,000 for child care alone. Even though these funds were made available, this does not mean that the state will choose to accept the funds. The state is however, taking many actions to help parents and providers during this unprecedented time of hardship. Early Learner South Dakota (ELSD), made up of South Dakota stakeholders that are committed to elevating early learning in our state, has constructed recommendations for the ARPA funds.

Rapid City Library's 1,000 Books before Kindergarten

Did you know Rapid City Public Library has an early literacy initiative that encourages area children and their families to read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten? Designed to support our community’s early literacy, school readiness, and child-parent/caregiver bond, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten helps children achieve early education goals and grow into lifelong learners. To participate, children read (or are read) 1,000 books before entering their first year of Kindergarten which helps equip them with the literacy skills necessary to become successful readers and students. As children read they will earn progress rewards provided by local sponsors, for the milestones of reading 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 books. Preschoolers and their families can pick up custom Black Hills-themed wall charts to track their reading progress at the downtown library. The wall charts have the option to track reading progress in English or Lakota.

EARLY LEARNER HURON will be participating in the annual National Night Out event in Campbell Park on Tuesday August 3rd. National Night Out is a campaign designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships. 

They will be distributing information about Early Learner Huron as well as the CDC Milestone Tracker in both English and Spanish which was received from SD Parent Connection.  

English

Spanish

Early Learner South Dakota member organization SDPB has added two members to its education team. Dr. Marcy Drew has been appointed as the Director of Education and Amelia Meyer as SDPB’s Early Learning Specialist – West River Coordinator. Drew joined SDPB in June and Meyer in February. 

Dr. Marcy Drew

Dr. Drew grew up on a farm near Fort Thompson and graduated from Chamberlain High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from South Dakota State University and a master’s in Early Childhood Special Education and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Dakota. Most recently, Drew was a lecturer at USD, where she taught courses in early childhood, elementary, and special education and also supervised student teachers in classrooms for several types of field experiences.  

Amelia Meyer

Amelia Meyer is a Rapid City native and has taught for 15 years at the elementary level in Rapid City and Spearfish schools and worked in a training capacity at Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE). She has a Master of Education from SDSU and is Nationally Board Certified in Literacy (Early and Middle Childhood). She will support SDPB’s Early Learning Initiative in the Black Hills area as well as tribal lands, including building relationships with parents, caregivers and educators of early learners.