2025 NDU Aspiring Educators: Year in Review

In 2025, the Student North Dakota United (SNDU) group has continued to grow. We have seen a 2.5% increase in membership from the 2024-25 school year and a 6.3% increase from the 2022-23 school year. Our strength is in our numbers, so we believe more student members is a positive sign for SNDU, North Dakota United, and the schools and students those SNDU members will soon serve within K-12 education across the state. 

This year, higher education campuses and SNDU members across the state hosted Know Your Contract and Educator Ethics events, with a little help from NDU staff. We believe providing strong professional development opportunities is essential as educators kick off their careers, and the strong turnout at these events demonstrates that our SNDU members agree!

SNDU CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT:

Mayville State University Student Education Association

This year, the Mayville State University Student Education Chapter (SEA) led an initiative to promote early literacy and social-emotional learning at home. SEA partnered with the Child Development Programs (CDP) on Mayville State’s campus to find and distribute books for students in CDP classrooms. 

The books were centered around the theme of “kindness” – one of three pillars of CDP’s approach to earlychildhood education. SNDU used chapter funding to research, purchase and distribute 58 age-appropriate books to educators and children in CDP classrooms, for infants, toddlers, two- to three-year-olds and preschoolers. They also provided additional resources — like a kindness calendar — to improve literacy and social-emotional learning beyond the classroom.

SNDU CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT:

Dickinson State University SNDU Chapter

The Dickinson State University SNDU chapter applied for and was awarded a full $2,000 CREATE Grant by the Teacher Quality Department of the National Education Association’s Center for Professional Excellence & Student Learning. The chapter used grant funds to host a STEM Carnival for students at Solen Public Schools on the Standing Rock Reservation. This is the first time a student chapter in North Dakota has received a CREATE Grant in many years! The STEM Carnival, hosted in association with Gateway to Science, brought hands-on science, technology, engineering and math activities to Cannon Ball Elementary, engaging students with interactive stations that sparked curiosity, creativity and joy. DSU’s SNDU members led the activities, which gave them valuable teaching opportunities while fostering meaningful connections with the community.