STEAM Schoolwide Programs for South Dakota Elementary Schools

Dakota STEAM Learning delivers in-person STEAM schoolwide programs to K-5 elementary schools across South Dakota -- from Rapid City to rural communities like Murdo, Kadoka, Philip, and Martin. We travel directly to your school with all materials, activities, and equipment included. No lab required. No substitute plans needed. We step in and teach while your educators plan.
Our programs run as 1, 2, or 3-day sessions and are designed to give every student a hands-on STEAM challenge - covering science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics - while your teachers use the time to plan, meet, train, or collaborate.

Meet Deanna and Jamie

Your Dakota STEAM Learning Team

Hey! We’re Deanna and Jamie, two former public school teachers who built Dakota STEAM Learning from the ground up because we wanted to bring a different kind of learning to South Dakota classrooms.

Together, we bring nearly three decades of teaching experience to every school we visit. We’ve taught in South Dakota elementary schools, and we understand the real pressures that principals and teachers face: limited planning time, evolving curriculum standards, and the challenge of keeping K-5 students genuinely engaged.

Our teaching credentials go beyond STEAM. We have extensive training in trauma-aware teaching practices, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), and conscious discipline. That means when we step into your classrooms, we bring the same professional standards your own teachers hold; and your students are in expert hands from the moment we arrive.

Our approach is different from most STEAM programs. We don’t hand students step-by-step instructions and call it innovation. We give them a genuine challenge with multiple possible solutions and let them think, collaborate, and create. Students become independent problem solvers; not activity completers. Those are the skills that carry forward into every grade and every future.

How a Dakota STEAM Learning School Program Works

We handle everything from arrival to cleanup. Here is what to expect when Dakota STEAM Learning visits your school:

We arrive with all STEAM materials, supplies, and equipment. Nothing needs to be purchased or prepared by school staff.
We teach in your existing classrooms. No special lab, makerspace, or setup is required.
Each session includes one engineering project and one art project, designed for hands-on exploration and real-world problem solving.
Sessions run between 60 and 210 minutes, adapted to your schedule and the number of students being served.
Classroom teachers are completely free during the session; no substitute plans to write, no prep, no cleanup.
Pricing is based on the number of students and material costs. Contact us for a quote specific to your school.

At Dakota STEAM Learning, we elevate traditional STEAM instruction by providing opportunities to tackle challenging tasks in a single setting. Our STEAM connect links to Mystery Science, real-world examples, and much more!

The 'Innovate' Schoolwide STEAM Package

Our flagship schoolwide program is called the Innovate Package; and it was designed specifically for South Dakota elementary schools that want both an exceptional student STEAM experience and real, dedicated planning time for their teachers.

Here is how it works:

Each session is 1.5 hours of hands-on STEAM challenges for one grade level — one engineering or art project per visit, all materials provided.
Typically, three grade levels participate each day. We rotate through grade levels so every teacher in the school gains planning time on a consistent schedule.
You can book the Innovate Package once or up to 12 times throughout the school year — from a single STEAM day to a full-year partnership.
Over a full school year of partnerships, your teachers gain between 1.5 hours (one session) and 18 hours (twelve sessions) of grade-level planning time.

A sample day looks like this:

8:30 to 10:00 a.m. — Grade level 1
10:15 to 11:45 a.m. — Grade level 2
12:45 to 2:15 p.m. — Grade level 3

Schools select which day of the week works best for their schedule. We accommodate up to three grade levels per visit and rotate through them weekly. Your classroom teachers never need to write substitute plans for our sessions.

Want the complete Innovate Package details? Download our full STEAM Services guide below.

What Your Teachers and Staff Gain

When Dakota STEAM Learning is in your building, your educators are free to use that time however it serves them and your students best. We have supported schools where teachers used the session for:

Individual or grade-level planning time
Reviewing assessment data and setting student goals
Meeting with instructional coaches or school administration
Onboarding new staff to curriculum and district initiatives
Observing colleagues or attending in-building professional development
Learning new tools, technology, or teaching strategies

Our programs are designed to align with South Dakota Science Standards and real-world STEAM applications, so students are engaged in meaningful learning while your team plans. No substitute plans needed. No classroom prep required.

Science, Technology, Engineer, Art, Mathematics, K-5 Elementary Sessions

Dakota STEAM Learning STEAM Sessions ~ We Teach While Teachers Plan! Is there a new staff member who needs additional time to familiarize themselves with the curriculum and District Initiatives? Or perhaps a grade-level team requires extra planning time? Allow us to step in and teach STEAM in their classrooms, giving your dedicated educators the opportunity to plan effectively. The best part is that teachers won’t have to prepare substitute plans; Dakota STEAM will provide everything needed to successfully engage their students while they focus on what’s essential!

The possibilities include:

Dakota STEAM can conduct 60-210 minute sessions, delivering one engineering and/or one art project per visit. Pricing depends on the number of students and material costs, so please refer to our pricing sheet for more details.

South Dakota Schools We Serve

Dakota STEAM Learning travels to K-5 elementary schools across South Dakota — including rural and small-town communities that larger STEAM providers cannot reach. We have partnered with public schools, cooperatives, private schools, and local businesses throughout the state.

Communities we have served include:

Places we have visited:

We have collaborated with public schools, cooperatives, private schools, and local businesses!

Not on this list? We travel across South Dakota. If your school or district is not listed here, contact us! If we can reach your community, we want to be there.

What South Dakota Schools Are Saying

Philip Elementary had an amazing experience partnering with Dakota STEAM! The hands-on activities were engaging, well-organized, and perfectly designed for our elementary students. Our classrooms were filled with excitement, curiosity, and collaboration as students explored real-world problem solving through STEAM.

The Dakota STEAM team made the entire process seamless — from planning to presentation — and their passion for student learning truly shines. Opportunities like this are invaluable for our rural school, and our students are still talking about the experience!
We are so grateful for this partnership and can’t wait to work with Dakota STEAM again.

Mrs. Skye Holsether

Title Coordinator | Philip Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you travel to rural South Dakota schools?

Yes! Rural communities are exactly who we built Dakota STEAM Learning for. We travel to K-5 elementary schools across South Dakota, including small towns and remote communities that larger programs do not reach. We have visited Murdo, Kadoka, Philip, Martin, Fort Pierre, Rapid City, and surrounding areas. If your district is not on the list, contact us, distance is not a barrier.

How many times can we book you in one school year?

You can book the Innovate Package once or up to 12 times throughout the school year. One visit gives your teachers 1.5 hours of planning time per grade level. A full-year partnership of 12 visits gives each grade level 18 hours of planning time over the course of the year. Most schools start with a single visit and then expand their booking.

What grades do your programs serve?

Our schoolwide programs are designed for K-5 elementary students. We adapt each session by grade level so that kindergarten and 1st grade students are working on age-appropriate challenges while 4th and 5th grade students tackle more complex engineering and art projects.

How long is each session?

Sessions run between 60 and 210 minutes, depending on your school’s schedule and the number of students being served. The Innovate Package is built around 1.5-hour sessions. We work with your principal or scheduler to fit the program into your existing school day.

What does our school need to provide?

Nothing. We arrive with all STEAM materials, supplies, and equipment. Your school does not need a science lab, a makerspace, or any special preparation from teachers. We teach in your existing classrooms.

Are your programs aligned with South Dakota Science Standards?

Yes. Our STEAM activities are designed with South Dakota Science Standards and pacing guides in mind. We make cross-curricular connections and link each project to real-world scenarios so that students are building curriculum-aligned skills, not just completing activities.

How much does a schoolwide program cost?

Pricing is based on the number of students and material costs. We do not publish a fixed rate because every school visit is a little different. Contact us with your school’s enrollment and preferred schedule and we will provide a detailed quote.

How do I schedule a program for my school?

Contact us through the form and we will confirm availability, discuss your school’s schedule and goals, and send a quote. Once booked, we handle all logistics from our end, your teachers just need to show up.