Helping Students Succeed from Community College to University Programs

This project is creating a partnership between Sisseton-Wahpeton Community College (SWCC) and Northern State University (NSU) that allows Native American and other area students to receive their bachelor's degrees in elementary and middle school education without having to leave the area. The students receive a paraprofessional degree from SWCC and then work in the classrooms while completing their bachelor's degree. They complete the program for their bachelor's degree while on the reservation.

The project is based on a seven-point plan:

1) Development of an articulation agreement with Northern State University whereby NSU delivers most of the third and fourth year level educational classes on the reservation.

2) Creation of a degree that trains papaprofessionals who have expertise in the use of technology as a teaching aid.

3) Training of in-service instructors.

4) Offering support for students in the form of mentoring and securing finances.

5) Raising students' mathematics proficiency.

6) Recruitment of students to create a self-sustaining program.

7) Creation of a listserv that gives all tribal colleges easy access to each other.