The Northeast Regional Science Olympiad was held virtually this year with the exception to an on-site building event scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, 2021. The building event will be held at Dakota College at Bottineau with students participating from area junior high and senior high schools. Students will be competing for the chance to qualify for the North Dakota State Science Olympiad competition.

Congratulations to Nicolas “Nic” Vercaigne, Dakota College at Bottineau student enrolled in the AAS-Agriculture Management & Technology program. We are excited to announce he has been named a 2021 New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation with additional support provided by Phi Theta Kappa.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at Dakota College at Bottineau recently recognized and inducted students to their Beta Rho Eta Chapter of PTK. Dakota College has 22 active student members. Three of the members were selected by the State to the 2021 All North Dakota Academic Team.

The Dakota College at Bottineau’s (DCB) photography program recently concluded their annual high school photo contest. There were a record number of submissions with 214 entries from 5 different states. Photography instructor Clint Saunders commented about the contest saying, “every year I’m blown away by the quality of the images we receive in this contest. We have some seriously talented high school students out there, and we love being able to showcase their work in our annual contest.”

Dakota College at Bottineau was recently notified that it has been re-accredited through 2029-30 by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Higher Learning Commission is the largest regional accreditor in the United States of degree-granting institutions of higher education. Continued accreditation is important as it assures students that the college is eligible to award federal financial aid. Accreditation also serves an important role in facilitating the transfer of college coursework from one institution to another, as it informs receiving institutions that the college has met a set of standards that help ensure a quality education.

The LeaderJacks keep giving back to the Bottineau community. After raising over $200 at a bake sale in January, the LeaderJacks decided to find ways to support a couple of different generations.

STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, partnering for an innovative movement in student awareness and education. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019-29 employment projections show that occupations in the STEM field are expected to grow 8.0 percent by 2029, compared with 3.7 percent for all occupations. (www.bls.gov)