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Children seated at desks in a classroom raise their hands

SDSU Extension Farm to School supports 'feeding kids great food’

September 05, 2024

In 2024, 69 schools in South Dakota reported serving local beef in school meals in what’s commonly called Beef to School, a component of the Farm to School program supported by SDSU Extension.

Baby seated at a highchair with a variety of soft, cut-up foods on its tray.

SDSU Extension working to bolster rural child care needs in South Dakota

September 05, 2024

South Dakota needs more child care providers, and SDSU Extension is part of a growing collaboration to meet that need.

2024 Energize conference attendees

SDSU Extension accepting applications for 2025 Energize conference hosts

July 08, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension Community Vitality is accepting applications from communities that would like to host the 2025 Energize conference.

headshot of Michael Perry, Energize keynote speaker

Register now for 2024 SDSU Extension Energize conference

February 13, 2024

Registration is open for the sixth annual South Dakota State University Extension Community Vitality Energize Conference on May 22 and 23, 2024, in Hot Springs.

About six people sit around a table in a community room with notebooks and pens

SDSU Extension Community Vitality built on foundation of empowering people

February 09, 2024

Now a full-fledged capstone within SDSU Extension, community development – since renamed Community Vitality – has evolved and grown in the last 20 years. Program leaders agree the community work they did through Horizons laid the foundation for what would become a successfully thriving SDSU Extension Community Vitality program.

A room of people sit around tables and listen to the young entrepreneurs panel at the 2023 Energize conference in Wessington Springs

Hot Springs to host SDSU Extension 2024 Energize Conference

December 29, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension Community Vitality and the community of Hot Springs will host the 2024 Energize Exploring Innovative Rural Communities Conference on May 22 and 23, 2024.

South Dakota State University Extension, Community Vitality Home Starts Here podcast cover

SDSU Extension Community Vitality launches new podcast, ‘Home Starts Here’

December 18, 2023

The South Dakota State University Extension Community Vitality team is proud to announce the launch of their new podcast, "Home Starts Here". For its fourth episode, there will be a live recording of “Home Starts Here” at 1 p.m. on March 25 at the Heritage Hall Museum complex during the 2023 Schmeckfest festival in Freeman, South Dakota.

Kellie Ecker Kolb smiles for a portrait

SDSU Extension welcomes new Community Vitality Field Specialist to Aberdeen office

August 22, 2023

SDSU Extension is pleased to welcome Kellie Ecker Kolb as a new Community Vitality Field Specialist based out of the Aberdeen Regional Center.

Sun rising over small town mainstreet.

SDSU Extension to host webinar on rural community narratives

August 15, 2023

“Rewriting the Rural Narrative,” hosted by South Dakota State University Extension, starts at 5:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. CDT on Aug. 17.

Three women sit at a booth in a small cafe.

Community Vitality helping train South Dakota board members for service with customized curriculum

June 15, 2023

The SDSU Extension Community Vitality team has created the Building Highly Effective Boards curriculum to teach South Dakota board members how to thrive in their roles.

Road sign reading "Welcome to South Dakota - Great Faces, Great Places"

Put Your Location on the Map along the US Highway 14 SD Rural Road Trip Trail

May 03, 2023

SDSU Extension is holding a series of community meetings to share and collect information to promote tourism along U.S. Highway 14, which runs east-west across north-central South Dakota.

A group of young workers sitting at a table putting their hands together.

SDSU Extension Releases Workforce Development Resources

October 24, 2022

SDSU Extension, in collaboration with Innovate SoDak and the Brookings Economic Development Corporation, has developed a workforce development course.

Storm water rushing down a street gutter.

South Dakota Water and Community Symposium to be Held July 26

July 22, 2022

SDSU Extension will host a one-day South Dakota Water and Community Symposium on Tuesday, July 26 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings.

Stagecoach at a parade in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

SDSU Extension to Host Energize! Exploring Innovative Rural Communities Conference May 11-12 in Fort Pierre

July 06, 2022

The conference is designed to energize South Dakota’s rural communities by inviting them to network with community leaders, share success stories, get ideas and take action to improve their communities.

Atty Eastman, Jonathan Burleson and Joshua Burleson collecting glasses at an eye clinic for the South Dakota 4-H "20/20 Vision" community service project.

South Dakota 4-H Members Donate Over 3,000 Eyeglasses Through Statewide Service Project

January 27, 2022

The eyeglasses collected through the project were primarily donated to the South Dakota Lions Foundation, which collects thousands of eyeglasses annually for volunteer missions.