The Promising Futures Fund was established in 2019 in response to a growing need within the Sioux Falls School District. Over the past decade, student poverty rates have increased from 38% to 47%, with nearly half of all students now qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch. Many elementary and middle schools across the district experience poverty rates between 80% and 100%. At the same time, Sioux Falls has continued to grow more diverse, transforming the district into a true urban center and one that will become a majority-minority district within the next decade.
These realities shape how students experience school and how they prepare for life after graduation. Students growing up in poverty often enter kindergarten behind their peers due to limited access to early learning, books, or consistent academic support. Some are learning English while navigating systems unfamiliar to their families. These challenges are not indicators of ability or potential; they are barriers created by circumstance that require intentional solutions.
The Promising Futures Fund was created to address those barriers by bringing equity to education, experiences, and opportunity. From the beginning, the focus has been on helping students build confidence, gain exposure, and access the guidance they need to succeed, especially as they approach critical transition points in their education.
That need becomes even more apparent in high school. In the Sioux Falls School District, approximately 55% of students move directly from high school into college or technical education, compared to a statewide average of 62%. Students from low-income households often face limited access to post-secondary guidance, fewer career connections, and uncertainty about how to navigate their options.
To help close that gap, the Promising Futures Fund launched the College & Career Access program, funded entirely through the Fund. This program places full-time College & Career Access Advisors directly inside Sioux Falls high schools to help students navigate their path forward, whether that path leads to college, technical education, military service, or directly into the workforce.
The program is currently in its first year at Jefferson High School, with four Advisors working full time with students. As the program continues to grow, plans are in place to expand to additional high schools next year, with a long-term goal of placing four Advisors in each of the district’s four public high schools. When fully built out, the program will include 16 Advisors supporting students across Sioux Falls.
Career and Technical Education play a critical role in this work. Students interested in technical education or workforce pathways are encouraged to take Career & Technical Academy courses while still in high school, allowing them to explore hands-on careers, build skills, and gain clarity about their future. For students interested in carpentry, construction, and other skilled trades, these pathways provide a direct connection to meaningful, in-demand careers.
This is where partnership with the building industry becomes essential. The construction and skilled trades workforce is vital to the long-term health of our region, and today’s students represent tomorrow’s workforce. Through job-shadowing opportunities, summer employment, internships, full-time positions after graduation, and participation in Build Dakota Scholarships, employers can help students see a clear and attainable future in the trades.
Employers interested in partnering with the Promising Futures College & Career Access program for job-shadowing, summer jobs, full-time positions, or Build Dakota Scholarship opportunities are encouraged to connect with Bradyn Medrano at Jefferson High School. Bradyn and the Jefferson team help facilitate connections between students and businesses and can be reached at bradyn.medrano@k12.sd.us.
A key measure of success for the College & Career Access program is how effectively students are connected to local employers. Strong partnerships ensure students leave high school with real opportunities, practical experience, and confidence in their next steps, while employers gain access to a growing pipeline of motivated, skilled talent.
This program represents a significant investment, but it is one with lasting impact. Those interested in helping fund the Promising Futures College & Career Access program are encouraged to reach out. Together, education and industry can strengthen career pathways, expand technical education, and build a stronger future for Sioux Falls.
Let’s Connect!
steve@promisingfuturesfund.org
(605) 261-8988
