Education Department

Oglala Lakota College, one of the four tribal colleges in the State of South Dakota, has the authority to grant our own baccalaureate degree. The first elementary education graduated in 1978 under the guidance of Black Hills State University. Since 1983 Oglala Lakota College has been authorized by North Central Association to offer our own accredited Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Oglala Lakota College is also chartered by the South Dakota Department of Education and Cultural Affairs for teacher certification.

Since 1978 the Education Department has expanded programs of study that offer courses centered on the most current information and recent advances in the field of education. Currently Oglala Lakota College offers the following degrees and/or programs:

• Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education (CDA certification)
• Associate of Arts Degree in Elementary Education
• Bachelor of Science Degree in K-8 Elementary Education
• AED (Accelerated Education Degree) Bachelor of Science in K-8 Elementary Education
• ACED (Accelerated Combined Education Degrees) This program offers a combined degree in K-8 Elementary Education and K -12 Special Education.
• Bachelor of Science in K-12 Lakota Studies (See Lakota Studies for status sheet)
• Bachelor of Science in Business Education
• Bachelor of Science in Physical Science 7-12 Secondary Education with Endorsements available in Earth Science, Math, and Biology
• K-12 Special Education Certification

Instruction: As with all our degree programs, it emphasizes Lakota cultural virtues, or sometimes referred to as character education across the curriculum. Teacher trainees obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education are taught how to integrate Lakota Values of respect, generosity, fortitude, wisdom, and bravery as equal in priority to typical school content knowledge.

Instructional Delivery: Oglala Lakota College's Education Department utilizes instructional delivery based around an Experiential-Interactive model. Our experiential-interactive model focuses on giving teacher trainees practical application relating to the profession of teaching. Our model includes the following:

• A Professional Development School Model;
• dialogue between student and teacher;
• guidance and facilitation;
• enforces student-student collaboration;
• incorporates a conscious integration of language and content area;
• focuses on the development of high-level thinking skills;
• instructional presentation generates intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation.

Our Vision and Mission Statements:

Vision Statement: To graduate highly qualified, professional, motivated, committed teachers who possess and who will teach Wolakolkiciyapi in a multicultural, changing world. (Wolakolkiciyapi refers to the whole person in balance and in harmony, spiritually, physically, mentally and socially.)

Mission Statement: Graduates from our programs will learn holistic principles of education and will become proficient in effective character education across the curriculum, with an emphasis on community issues and traditional Lakota perspectives.