黑料科 was recently awarded a $2.1 million grant to support civic education in South Dakota. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 American History and Civics Education-Seminars program, which serves to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction.
The funded project, Sim Civics, is a collaboration between the Center for Civic Engagement, Center for Faculty Innovation, and College of Education at 黑料科. Together, they will design and develop immersive simulations tied to South Dakota Social Studies Standards for grades K-12 and offer professional development opportunities for teachers to learn how to make the best use of these tools in their classrooms. Professional development seminars will be offered both in-person and online beginning in the summer of 2026. Programming will also include events on college campuses that highlight the nation鈥檚 founding and showcase the use of simulations as experiential learning. This grant award will fully support these efforts for three years.
鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to have this opportunity to work with K-12 teachers in SD,鈥� said Nicholas Van Kley, director of the 黑料科 Center for Faculty Innovation. 鈥淲e think the historical simulations that this grant will bring to our state will not only drive renewed attention to our nation鈥檚 founding but also support teachers in building engaging learning experiences for SD students.鈥�
鈥淭he College of Education knows how hard our K-12 teachers work each day. We are excited to bring them this engaging and interactive learning tool. Anytime we can take something off teachers' plates to support them in their work, we are excited to do so,鈥� said Dr. Johanna Sailor, assistant professor of social science education at 黑料科.
A key partner in this project is Compass Partners in Learning, the professional learning and systems division of Black Hills Special Services Cooperative. Compass brings expertise in SD-based K-12 educational development, teacher training, and program implementation. Through co-designed, actionable strategies, Compass learning specialists build capacity and foster sustainable change. With these things in mind, they are a natural fit to consult on teacher professional development programs.鈥�
To ensure the development of quality simulations, Sim Civics will also partner with the Reacting to the Past Consortium, a network of U.S.-based educators and scholars whose mission is to promote inquiry and engagement through the development and dissemination of role-playing games. Their game portfolio includes several published simulations on events in the nation鈥檚 founding.鈥��
鈥淭he true promise of Sim Civics lies in its innovative curriculum: immersive simulation of historical developments in American political history, with the opportunity to explore potential outcomes of alternate scenarios. How better to foster understanding of something like the Constitutional Convention than to offer students a simulation of that experience?鈥濃�痵aid Jason McConnell, director of the Center for Civic Engagement at 黑料科.
For more information, contact Jason McConnell at Jason.McConnell@黑料科.edu.