Educator Appreciation
2013 Friends of Education Award Winners
Audrea & Todd Hecht Santos Silva
– Yankton High School - Lincoln Elementary School 
Cindy Vyborny – Sacred Heart Schools David Wright
– Beadle Elementary School
W.D. Metheny Lola Waldner
– Webster Elementary School – Stewart Elementary School
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Character Counts Week – October 20-26, 2013
The Chamber’s Education Committee along with the City of Yankton, Yankton Police/Sheriff Departments, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Yankton, all Yankton Schools, Crimestoppers and the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan have formed a joint collaboration to promote this week.
The character of our community is only as strong as the character of its individual citizens. We encourage all community businesses, churches, schools, civic organizations and individuals in promoting Red Ribbon Character Counts Week. We encourage you to wear the colors of character!
Our teachers and administrators in Yankton do a wonderful job of promoting Character Counts. We tend to forget that the first and by far the most important teachers are those engaged in parenting. Raising a child in today’s society involves more than providing food, shelter and education. It also involves instilling good values and habits, teaching right from wrong and showing hot to make good decisions that are both effective and ethical. By instilling these strong values in our youth, we are also helping them make the decision to remain drug and alcohol free!
The Six Pillars of Character Counts:
Sunday – Citizenship (Purple)
Monday – Trustworthiness (Blue)
Tuesday – Respect (Yellow)
Wednesday – Fairness (Orange)
Thursday – Responsibility (Green)
Friday – Caring & Drug Free (Red)
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Welcome Back Coffees
Each year the Chamber’s Education Committee welcomes area educators back to start the school year. 
Welcome Back Coffees will be held in August for the Yankton School District, Sacred Heart School and Mount Marty College.
Welcome Back Coffee Sponsorship Opportunities
$100 Level
• Sponsor one teacher
• Send two employees to an event
• Company logo on luncheon materials, at all three welcome coffees
and Chamber Web site
• Materials in the welcome bags for the new teachers
$50 Level
• Sponsor one teacher
• Company logo on the luncheon materials, at all three welcome coffees
and Chamber Web site
• Materials in welcome bags for the new teachers
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Salute to Education ~ An Educator/Business Expo
The first Educator/Business Expo was held in January 2012 and it promoted education and showcased the Yankton’s business community. This event allowed educators to find out more about Yankton businesses and services offered in our community. Businesses hosted a thank-you social during the expo as a way to thank the educators for their service throughout the school year. Over 500 educators attended!
This event is scheduled on an in-service day. Next expo will be in 2014.