Sioux Falls Schools Partner With Zoo For Innovative Literacy Curriculum
The Sioux Falls School District is embarking on an exciting new initiative aimed at enhancing literacy among its young students through a partnership with the Great Plains Zoo & Aquarium. Starting this fall, kindergarten, first, and second-grade students across 24 elementary schools will experience a curriculum that blends literacy with hands-on science learning, making educational field trips not just fun but also impactful.
This groundbreaking program was born from a conversation initiated by Steve Hildebrand, founder of the Promising Futures Fund, with the district and the zoo. The goal was clear: create a more enriching and engaging experience for students, particularly those in high-poverty areas. The curriculum is designed to integrate lessons from literacy and science, meticulously crafted by Leigh Spencer, the zoo's education and conservation director, and Linda McDaniel, the district's elementary curriculum coordinator.
A notable aspect of this initiative is its connection to field trips that students will take to the Butterfly House & Aquarium, the zoo, and through ZooMobile visits. These real-world experiences are complemented by quality literature chosen to support young readers. McDaniel emphasized how these lessons will enable students not only to recognize letters and sounds but also to ask purposeful questions and express their experiences in writing. This synthesis of reading with tangible experiences is backed by research indicating that it leads to higher academic achievement.
The Promising Futures Fund's commitment to this project is underlined by a generous $50,000 grant from the Mary Chilton Chapter DAR Foundation. Michelle McElroy from the chapter spoke about the nonprofit's efforts to enhance literacy and foster a happier community in Sioux Falls. Funding from the Promising Futures Fund will cover essential costs such as transportation, books, and entry fees to the field trip venues while the zoo and aquarium provide discounted rates.
Hildebrand highlighted the unique opportunity this curriculum presents for students to engage deeply with the animals and ecosystems they will study, ensuring they receive books tailored to their visits at the aquarium and zoo. With the pilot already running in kindergarten classrooms at Garfield Elementary, the feedback from that experience will pave the way for a district-wide rollout of the first-grade curriculum next year, followed by a second-grade curriculum in the 2026-2027 school year.
This initiative exemplifies how collaboration between educational institutions and local organizations can create enriching educational experiences and foster a love for reading and science in young learners. As we look forward to seeing the positive impact this program will have on the students, one must ask: How else can organizations partner to enhance education in innovative ways?
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