New Education Scholarship Established at BHSU

Swartz
BHSU Emeritus faculty Dr. Darlene Swartz has established the Don and Darlene Swartz Education Scholarship Endowment Fund at Black Hills State University. The scholarship will be awarded to juniors or seniors majoring in Early Childhood/Special Education with a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher. Preference will be given to Native American students.

Emeritus faculty Dr. Darlene Swartz has established the Don and Darlene Swartz Education Scholarship Endowment Fund at Black Hills State University. The scholarship will be awarded to juniors or seniors majoring in Early Childhood/Special Education with a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher. Preference will be given to Native American students.

Donald Swartz graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Black Hills Teachers College (BHTC), now BHSU. He met Darlene Unruh during the summer of 1954 when she enrolled in classes at BHTC. They were married in Freeman, S.D., on August 20, 1955. Their life made a complete circle when Darlene was hired by Black Hills State College as an assistant professor in the summer of 1977.

 

Darlene was an advocate for children and teaching college students about the importance of a quality early childhood education. She pursued her teaching goals with zeal for 25 years at BHSU from 1977 to 2002. 

Her teaching career began in 1955 when she completed her bachelor’s degree in secondary English at the University of South Dakota. She and Don taught for the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 10 years, and then Don received a master’s degree in health education from the university in Ann Arbor, Mich., and worked as a health educator. Darlene became a reading teacher at Redlake and Pine Ridge Schools until 1969.During those early teaching years, Darlene continued her education, earning a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1957. By 1970 she had obtained a second master’s degree in learning disabilities and special education from Northern State University in Aberdeen.

After completing her doctorate in reading from the University of Northern Colorado in 1972, she accepted a faculty position at Northern Montana College and a year later served as school principal at Rocky Boy Reservation in Montana.

As a professor at BHSU, she taught numerous early childhood classes, practicum classes, guidance classes, methods classes, and supervised student teachers. She worked to bring accreditation to the university’s child-care center and worked with the state Department of Education and Cultural Affairs to establish early childhood standards.  She developed the major for an Early Childhood/Special Education degree at BHSU.

She also worked to incorporate the latest technological concepts in her teaching. She received a Governor’s Grant Award integrating current computer technology and software into the courses she taught. A dedicated faculty member, Swartz was involved with university councils and committees and held memberships in several professional education associations. She has also acted as a consultant to Rural American Initiatives with their Early Head Start Program and the Region 11 Program for Infant Toddler Care.

Darlene is also involved in several community organizations, networks, centers, and agencies concerned with the education of young children.  Her dedication to teaching and learning earned her the distinction as a role model for early childhood instruction.

For information on how to establish a scholarship in your name, contact Steve Meeker at Steve.Meeker@BHSU.edu or Shauna Junek at Shauna.Junek@BHSU.edu.