South Dakota's K-12 students can now access free online tutoring by DOE, SDBOR

A new free online tutoring program is available for K-12 students in South Dakota, administered by the Board of Regents and funded by the Department of Education.

The new Dakota Dreams Online Tutoring Program is staffed by college students at Black Hills State University and Northern State University who are preparing to become teachers.

The program uses a secure online platform for students and tutors to connect for virtual sessions in English, language arts, math, science and social studies.

Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson said the program will allow K-12 students to receive individualized support after the school day has ended.

“Once a parent has registered their child, students can access a tutor from home, the local library or afterschool program, or even their favorite coffee shop,” Sanderson said. “I think parents are going to like this one-on-one support as much as their students.”

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To access the free service, parents first need to register their students to use the platform. Once registered, sessions can either be pre-scheduled or on-demand, depending on tutor availability.

Tutors will be available Monday through Sunday afternoons and evenings. The service will not be available on holidays and during Christmas and spring breaks.

“This is an incredible opportunity for South Dakota students,” Board of Regents Executive Director Brian Maher said in a news release. “While this program provides academic support for K-12 students, it additionally gives university students practical experience in their future field of work.”

Questions about this program may be sent to onlinetutoring@sdbor.edu.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dakota Dreams Online Tutoring Program now open to SD's K-12 students