PIERRE -- The 2024 South Dakota Road Trip: Teachers Discovering History kicks off today. Teachers from across the state will be visiting historic sites along three simultaneous routes in western, central, and eastern South Dakota. Each route will host about 90 teachers who will visit locations that play a significant role in the state’s history. The road trip begins this morning and ends Thursday, July 18, when teachers will have the opportunity to develop lessons based on information learned on the trip.

“South Dakota has hidden treasures rich in history and meaning in all parts of the state,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves. “This trip is an opportunity for teachers to visit them and speak with local experts about their significance. They will come away with practical ideas to integrate their experience into their classrooms.”

The western route will include tours and visits with site engineers at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor’s Center in Lead. The group will visit Wind Cave National Park, and they will see the preservation, research, and interpretation of the late Ice Age record at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs.

The central route will feature sessions with the South Dakota Legislative Research Council, the South Dakota Supreme Court, the South Dakota Secretary of State, and a tour of the State Capitol in Pierre, as well as a visit to the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center in Chamberlain, and the Sutton Rodeo in Onida.

Travelers on the eastern route will develop a better understanding of the first people to inhabit the region at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village. They will hike the trails and learn the history and significance of Sica Hollow State Park and immerse themselves in the history of South Dakota at the Mead Museum in Yankton. They will also visit Prairie Village in Madison and the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls.

The History Road Trip is designed to enhance educators’ knowledge of South Dakota history, geography, government, and civics. The trip is hosted by the Department of Education and is designed to support educators as they work towards implementation of new social studies standards by fall 2025. 

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