RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Career Learning Center of the Black Hills has received a $10,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to expand its adult literacy program for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The grant is part of a record $13.2 million one-day donation by the foundation to support literacy programs in 48 states.
The grant will allow the center to add a new daytime ESL class, addressing the high demand seen in its current evening class which has 31 participants and a waitlist. Desiree Kranz, an ESL instructor at the center, said the new morning class is well-suited for parents and those who work afternoon or evening shifts.
The new class is beginning with a unit focused on career readiness and workforce development, aiming to equip students with language skills and tools for their future careers.
The Career Learning Center of the Black Hills is part of the Education and Workforce Development division of the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC). The BHSSC works to address unmet needs for individuals, schools and communities in western South Dakota.
Since 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has provided over $271 million in grants to nonprofit organizations to support literacy and education.