Diversity Impact Area

Did you know...
A recent local research project found that 70% of surveyed refugees and immigrants cited language as the one barrier proving to be most difficult to manage and causing missed opportunities.
Sioux Falls has the fastest growing percentage of foreign-born residents among other cities our size.
SFSD graduation rate for all students was 85% of 09-10 school year.  For Native American students it was 48%.
Locally, in 2009, 1 in 20 students was the child of an immigrant or refugee and 1 in 10 students came from a home where a language other than English was spoken most of the time.

Your Gift in Action...
Kilian Community College’s Bridges program serves adult immigrants and refuges who want to improve their American English skills.  Last year 131 individuals participated in non-credit courses designed to improve reading, writing, and communication skills for employment or education purposes.

Multi Cultural Center’s After School and Summer Camps served 449 students from seven local schools with after school and summer programming last year.

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Native American Scholars connects caring and consistent adults with at-risk Native American students.  96 matches were made or maintained last year.  75% of participants maintain a C level in Math, 79% a C level in Science, and 82% a C level in reading.

Sioux Falls School District’s School Home Liaison Refugee and Immigrant helps refugee and immigrant families understand the American educations system.  Last year, 1,604 students and their families were served.  97% of Immersion Center parents attended parent conferences and student participants maintain a 96% attendance rate at school on average.