JAG-SD students take time to give back to their communities

JAG students at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls
volunteer at a local elementary school's fun run.

When a school district implements a Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program, that comes with the commitment to invest in its students, in particular those with barriers to success, in a unique way. It is a commitment to think differently about how to help students persist through to high school graduation.

JAG specialists, teachers who walk alongside students from their freshman year until they graduate, work within the JAG model to develop a curriculum that will help their students succeed. Local employers can help inform that curriculum by identifying specific skills that will serve the students well in the workforce, and the specialists work with their students to find projects to develop those competencies. The projects are designed to build a sense of civic responsibility while building leadership skills, healthy social interaction, academic performance, and professionalism within each JAG student.

Twelve school districts in South Dakota have JAG programs; as one component of their curriculum, each program develops community projects with these goals in mind. Each project is unique to its school and community and led by student leaders within JAG.

"A big part of JAG is helping students to become a productive part of their community," said Beth Schneider, the JAG-SD state director. "Our young people know the needs in their communities and are so creative in supporting others. It's fantastic to see the different ways the JAG specialists and students find to give back to their communities."

Some projects involve students working with elementary classrooms. In the middle school JAG-Wagner program, students have begun creating Lakota coloring books, taking nursery rhymes such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and adding the Lakota translation along with the English one. When the coloring books are completed, the JAG students will present them to preschool and kindergarten students in their district. The students are working with elders in the community to ensure that the translations are correct.

JAG students at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls volunteered at a local elementary school to help support the students and staff during their September Fun Run. The elementary students had the benefit of teenagers they look up to being a part of their event. The JAG students themselves got even more out of it, said Anne Engelland, the Lincoln JAG specialist. "When we participate in community outreach activities, I see completely different people in my students," she said. "They are able to learn about different careers and meet a variety of people. I see the students reaching out to help others, learning compassion and empathy, and seeing how they can make a difference in the world."

In Lyman, JAG students host games for young fans at their homecoming game. Their Punt, Pass, Kick event is a highlight for the kids as they wait for the game to begin. The Lyman JAG students also host a community soup and bingo night in the winter, which brings together community members of all ages for an evening of food and fun.

Bennett County JAG students display the marketing materials
they have been working on for the grand opening of
their community thrift store.

Bennett County's JAG students have launched a new business in Martin, S.D. The Treasure Hut is a community thrift store that opened in November 2024. The store is a joint venture between resident retirees in the community and students. Throughout the fall, Bennett County JAG students were a part of the decision-making process of how the business would run: the operating hours, store policies, donation expectations, and marketing methods. On opening day, students were there to provide customer service and hand out hot chocolate to customers. As the school year goes on, students will work at the Treasure Hut, stocking shelves, handling money, making deposits, and more. They will work in tandem with local retirees to ensure that the community has an economical option for citizens to purchase items. Money raised at the store will go to raise funds for educational scholarships for the students.

While JAG-SD is a credit-bearing class to support students through graduation, these students and schools are demonstrating, its potential is so much more than that. "JAG programs have been active in South Dakota for over 15 years," said Schneider. "Over the years, we have seen our students do tremendous things for their communities. These students never fail to amaze me with their energy and ingenuity when it comes to helping their communities. I can't wait to see what they come up with next."

To learn more about having a Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program in your school, reach out to beth.schneider@state.sd.us.