Dakota Valley Best Buddies Programs

08/20/2026

07/22/2026

Slightly jealous but our ADVISORS got the amazing opportunity to meet Subodh and his sister Aarti! From the awesome show LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM!

07/22/2026

This conference has been one of the most inspiring and unforgettable experiences we’ve ever had. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend, the friendships we’ve built, and the knowledge we’ve gained to bring back to our program.

Best Buddies is dedicated to creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build meaningful friendships, develop leadership skills, and feel included and our students embody that mission every single day.

Thank you to everyone who supports Dakota Valley Best Buddies. Your encouragement, generosity, and belief in our program help make inclusion possible and ensure that every student is seen, heard, and valued. We can’t wait to put everything we’ve learned into action and continue growing our program together. 💚🧡

07/22/2026

⭐️⭐️Day 4 OF BEST BUDDIES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ⭐️⭐️

After and amazing weekend, day 4 gave us a chance to sleep in before saying goodbye to our SOUTH DAKOTA friends⭐️ We then left campus, headed to the airport, and made it home safely!

We came back with so many new ideas, valuable leadership skills and unforgettable memories that we are excited to bring back to our program!

07/22/2026

❤️❤️Day 3 OF BEST BUDDIES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ❤️❤️

Day 3 was an incredible way to wrap up the conference! We started the morning together by enjoying breakfast as a state before heading out to hear several more inspiring speakers, including from the Movie 21 Down! We then went and participated in the World cafe where we connected with other best buddies chapters, shared ideas, and learned about their successes! After that, we attended a class on planning and hosting successful events. We ended the evening closing ceremonies celebrating and unforgettable few days of learning, leadership, and friendship! We can’t wait to bring everything that we learned back to DAKOTA VALLEY BEST BUDDIES!

07/22/2026

🧡💚Day 2 OF BEST BUDDIES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 💚🧡

Day 2 was full of learning, friendship, and leadership! We started the day by listening to inspiring speakers, then attending classes where we learned more about strengthening and growing our Best Buddies program. We wrapped up the day by participating in the Friendship walk, celebrating inclusion and the incredible Best Buddies community!

07/22/2026

💚💛Day 1 OF BEST BUDDIES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE💛💚

Our conference started a little differently than we planned, our car broke down just a few miles after leaving the school! But even with the minor setback we were able to make the most of it and share many laughs and staying excited for what was to come!

Day 1 included our travel, EXPANSION meeting, and the opening ceremonies!

07/19/2026

It's Ms. Kenney here! 💜🖤

I just had to jump on here and brag about our Dakota Valley and South Dakota Best Buddies students!

Last night, they had the incredible opportunity to meet and take a picture with Best Buddies founder, Anthony Shriver! What an unforgettable experience! 🌟

To say these students are having an amazing time and learning so much is an understatement. They're bringing back new ideas, inspiration, and excitement to share with Dakota Valley and our North Sioux City community!

Keep an eye out for Best Buddies at DV this year... we've got some exciting things planned, and we can't wait to share them with you! 💜🫶

Dakota Valley School District

06/10/2026

💜🥎A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our SOFTBALL GIRLS in BEST BUDDIES and to our AWESOME ADVISOR MS. KENNEY on WINNING the CLASS A SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!🥎💜

💜🥎Your HARDWORK and LEADERSHIP SHINE not only on the FEILD but also off of the FIELD within our PROGRAM! We are SO PROUD you and all you’ve ACCOMPLISHED this SEASON!🥎💜