Grads Board Meeting April 2026

Three people attended the Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports meeting.

Boost for Teachers/Mentors

Rachael Johnson shared newspaper pictures and articles from the Sisseton Courier and The Grant County Review announcing the Boost for Teachers/Mentors grant recipients. Congratulations again to Amber Unzen, Jody Unzen, Lori Borgen, Karen Siriban, Michelle Greseth, Ashley Iverson, and May Amodia. Rachael showed pictures of the t-shirt project facilitated by Michelle Greseth at a Connection Crew gathering, a grant-funded project. It was suggersted that these and other pictures be placed in an albumn.

ADA Celebration in July

We plan to have our annual celebration in recognition of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Monday, July 27, 2026. We will have a dinner of Subway sandwiches, chips, desserts and beverages starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Milbank Visitor Center in Milbank followed by a short program and ending with Bingo. Rachael Johnson will reserve the room, and place announcements in the Sisseton Courier, The Grant County Review, and perhaps other publications. Charlotte Athey will make a poster. Katrina Koeppe/Tiffany Duvall will send out letters of invitation to those served by Voc. Rehab. in the area. We will arrange for speakers at our June meeting. We will seek a donation from First Bank & Trust in Milbank with help from MaryLou Bullert.

Financial Report

Rachael Johnson reported a checking account balance of $3,650.09 in First Bank& Trust in Milbank as of March 31, 2026.

Next Meeting

The next GRADS meeting will be on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 East Milbank Avenue, Milbank. We will finalize ADA Celebration plans and discuss other projects.

The meeting was adjourned with all in favor.

Submitted by Rachael Johnson, GRADS Secretary

🌟 2026 Boost for Teachers & Mentors Grant

Awarded by Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports (GRADS)

GRADS is excited to once again support the incredible work of teachers, mentors, and support professionals who go above and beyond for individuals with disabilities. If you—or someone you work with—are making a difference through empowerment, skill-building, or transitional support, this opportunity is for you!

👉 Please share this information with appropriate Special Services staff.

💵 Grant Overview

GRADS will award multiple $100 grants to eligible applicants who provide instruction or mentorship in areas including:

• Empowerment
• Job and vocational skills
• Self-help and independent living skills
• Communication and socialization
• Mental health support

Eligible applicants include:

• Middle and High School teachers
• Mentors
• Speech or Occupational Therapists
• Guidance Counselors

Grants are also available to mentors in Grant and Roberts County who support adults with disabilities living in the community and working toward greater independence.

We recognize that educators and mentors often invest their own time and resources. These grants are our way of saying thank you.

📝 How to Apply

Please scan, copy & paste, or handwrite the four questions on the back of the application page, along with your contact information, and submit by Monday, February 16, 2026.

Submit your application by:

📧 Email: charlie48@live.com
📬 Mail:
C. M. Athey
14476 5th Avenue
Big Stone City, SD 57216

📅 Important Dates

• Monday, January 5, 2026 – Boost for Teachers/Mentors Grant announced
• Monday, February 16, 2026 – Application deadline
• Thursday, February 29, 2026 – GRADS Board reviews applications
• Monday, February 23, 2026 – Grant awardees announced

🎯 Target Group

Projects should benefit:

• Middle and high school students with special needs in the transition phase of their education
• Adults with disabilities being mentored toward greater independence

Proposals may support individuals or groups and should focus on improving skills that help people with disabilities live as independently as possible in the community of their choice.

🗒️ Awardee Requirements

Grant recipients will be asked to submit a brief project summary by Thursday, April 30, 2026.
These summaries will be featured on the GRADS website:
🌐 gradisabilitysupports.org

✨ Thank you for the meaningful work you do every day. GRADS is proud to support you!

November Meeting Minutes 2025

The meeting was called to order on November 13, 2025. Three members were present. The September minutes had been mailed prior to the meeting. There were no corrections. GRADS purchased the book, Ms. Rachel and Bean and the Bedtime Routine for a family who has a parent and children with attention and organizational issues. Another family would benefit from the same book.  It was discussed that GRADS usually  focuses on adult services. Arc will be contacted to see if the organization would be willing to purchase the book for a family of the kindergarten child with attention and organizational issues.
Boost for Teacher timelines were set. Proposals will be submitted to Char since she will be the contact person. GRADS will be awarding $100 for each winning proposal.
The following dates were accepted:
Mon. January 5, 2026 Boost for Teacher/Mentor announcement will be made.
Mon. February 16, 2026 Boost for Teacher/Mentor applications deadline.
Thurs. February 19, 2026 GRADS Board will review all received applications.
Mon. February 23, 2026 Boost for Teacher/Mentor awardees will be announced.
Mary Lou is a member of the Grant County Christian Service Council. At their last meeting, Mary Lou presented a written request for $400 to help GRADS fund the Boost for Teacher/Mentor project. They will discuss the request at the November meeting.
There was a recap of the NDEAM speaker and her Susie Sunshine products. They are available on-line.
Matthew is a member of one of the new bowling teams that was envisioned by Wade Van Dover. Matthew indicated he enjoyed being on the team and liked the activities. Char mentioned each team will be coming up with their own team name. Char thought team T-shirts would be fun for the team bowlers once they have established team names.
Matthew moved that the meeting be adjourned. Char seconded the motion.
Notes were taken by Mary Lou.

NDEAM Celebration in Sisseton

“Believe in Yourself”

Please join us on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at the Family Life Center, 404 West Hickory Street, Sisseton, for the National Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebration. A catered meal will be served at 6:00 p.m.

Suzy Sukalski, a fifth generation farmer, an award-winning breakfast hostess, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and above all, an advocate for the value and purpose in every person, will speak at 6:45 p.m. In her presentation, “Believe in Yourself”, Suzy tells her story of self-determination. She talks about her employment at the Fairmont Hampton Inn and describes her journey building Sunshine Suzy. She challenges the audience to to think differently and believe in themselves like never before.

The evening will conclude with the recognition of employers and employees who participated in the Project Skills program. This year’s honored employers are Westside Elementary School, Edgewood Assisted Living Center, Tri-State Building Center, Hart Ranch, Katy’s Closet, Teal’s Market, SWO Elderly Center, SWO Fitness Center, and SWO Tribal Headquarters.

Sponsors of the event are the SD Board of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Statewide Independent Living Council, the Board of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired, Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports, Grant County Arc, and the Sisseton School District.

This free event is open to the public. Please RSVP to Rachael at striping@venturecomm.net or call 605-698-7445 by October 6 if you plan to attend.