Prior Lake, Minn. – A new center to educate young children is being supported by a second $250,000 grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. With this grant, the SMSC has given a total of $500,000 toward this program, with the first grant given earlier in fiscal year 2013. This grant is also part of the SMSC’s most recent round of more than $10 million in grants awarded to 18 American Indian tribes in eight states.

Design and construction of a state-of-the-art facility to house the Winnebago Educare Program is being funded with both SMSC grants, in addition to other funding. With the objective to provide young children living on the Winnebago Reservation with opportunities to develop school readiness skills, the center will implement an intensive, research-based model of early learning that has been proven to reduce educational achievement disparities in young, at-risk children from lower-income communities. It will also encourage parental involvement and incorporate the Ho-Chunk language through regular exposure and engagement to build cultural awareness and increase the number of Ho-Chunk speakers.

With an anticipated opening date of January 2014, the new facility is expected to provide services to 90 pre-school children and their families in the first year and 119 children and their families in subsequent years. Additionally, the center will provide full-day services for 72 infants and toddlers and an after-school program for elementary students.

Background

The Winnebago Educare Program is a partnership of the Winnebago Tribal Council, the Winnebago Head Start Program, the Little Hill Child Development Center, Winnebago Public Schools, St. Augustine School, and the Buffet Early Childhood Fund.

Design and construction of a 31,600-square-foot educational facility will incorporate natural light-filled spaces that draw on sensory stimulation for a conducive learning environment. Funds from the SMSC will join those from the Winnebago Tribe, the Buffet Early Childhood Fund, the Travois New Market Tax Credit Contribution, and others.

The Winnebago Tribe is located in a rural area approximately 20 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa, and 80 miles north of Omaha. The reservation has a population of about 2,700 on approximately 120,000 acres of cropland, woodland, and pasture in the northern half of Thurston County, Nebraska, as well as approximately 1,800 acres in Iowa.

In addition to the $500,000 in grant funds given this fiscal year, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community previously provided a $200,000 grant to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation to help fund down payment assistance for new home buyers.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. With a focus on being a good neighbor, good steward of the earth, and good employer, the SMSC is committed to community partnerships, charitable donations, a healthy environment, and a strong economy. The SMSC and the SMSC Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) are the largest employer in Scott County. Out of a Dakota tradition to help others, the SMSC has also donated nearly $272 million since 1992, including more than $152 million to other tribes, tribal organizations, and American Indian causes.