Dakota Electric Donates $10,000 to Support Scholarship Programs
(left to right) Dakota Electric Director David Jones, Inver Hills President Michael Berndt, Inver Hills Foundation Executive Director Kim Shaff, Dakota Electric Director Stacy Miller
Civic Scholars and Fall 2022 Summer Success scholarships receive funding
Dakota Electric Association donated $10,000 to Inver Hills Community College to support two scholarship programs, $5,000 for the Civic Scholars Program and $5,000 for the Fall 2022 Summer Success Scholarship Program.
Dakota Electric awarded a total of $50,000 of unclaimed capital credits funds to Inver Hills, District 196 (Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan), District 197 (West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Eagan), and District 199 (Inver Grove Heights).
According to Dakota Electric, District 196 will use the donation to gather and analyze data to address the mental and emotional needs of students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. District 197, will use the funds for innovative teaching practices and a school celebration. District 199 will use the donation to help outfit elementary STEAMM labs with interactive equipment. STEAMM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, Media.
Since 2013, Dakota Electric has donated more than $390,000 across all the school districts throughout its service territory. This is on top of annual scholarship donations that go to students in every school district. Both are funded by unclaimed capital credits.
A customer-owned, nonprofit utility since 1937, Dakota Electric Association provides electricity to more than 110,000 members throughout Dakota County and portions of Goodhue, Rice, and Scott counties.
Dakota Electric, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, serves its member-owners with integrity, accountability, innovation, and commitment to community.
More about the Civic Scholars Program…
Made possible by support provided by Dakota Electric and the Inver Hills Foundation, the Civic Scholars Program is based on the idea civic skills are critical for employment success and effective citizenship. Community-based learning (CBL) teaches key civic-engagement skills, including leadership, communication, and collaboration.
Shannon Williams serves as the college’s CBL coordinator. Shannon reported that the Civic Scholars Program is already underway with five students receiving $250 scholarships for fall semester 2021 with the option to renew the scholarship for spring semester 2022.
“Civic Scholars attend three CBL events,” she said, “or they can waive the three events by enrolling in a CBL for-credit course or contribute as a student employee focused on community service.”
Shannon added that current community service opportunities are offered at Neighbors Inc., DARTS, and the Inver Hills Food and Resource Center. Civic Scholars can also serve as an elementary reading tutor. Civic Scholars are enrolled for six (6) or more credits at Inver Hills for fall semester 2021. Priority was given to students with high financial need.
More about the Fall 2022 Summer Success Scholarship Program…
Funded by Dakota Electric, the Fall 2022 Summer Success Scholarship Program supports students who enroll at Inver Hills Community College and must take developmental education courses in English if they are not yet college-level in this area. English developmental education courses do not count toward graduation credit requirements, but must be paid for and completed to enroll in college-level courses in this area.
A $500 Summer Success Scholarship will be awarded to students who successfully complete a co-requisite summer English developmental education course for fall semester 2022.
Students of color are disproportionately represented (7:3) in ESL and developmental English, reading, and math courses at Inver Hills. Minnesota State system data show that enrollment in developmental education is disproportionately overrepresented by students of color, low-income, and first-generation students. These courses place an additional financial burden on students and are often an impediment to persistence.
According to the January 2018 Minnesota State Developmental Education Strategic Roadmap: “Developmental education is not only key to significantly increasing degree attainment, but is a key lever in addressing disparities in opportunities and outcomes by race and ethnicity and by income.”
Learn more about program goals, desired outcomes, and the scholarship process by reading:
“I think that civic engagement is important because it gives students hands-on experience working with people—and I especially value that since I am working toward a people-oriented career. Civic engagement has allowed me to start working in the role of a helper, which is exactly the kind of opportunity that I was looking to have as a college student.”
Morgan Marvin Civic Scholar Inver Hills Community College
Shannon Williams
Community-Based Learning Coordinator
651-450-3244
(left to right) Dakota Electric Director David Jones, Inver Hills President Michael Berndt, Inver Hills Foundation Executive Director Kim Shaff, Dakota Electric Director Stacy Miller
