Connect Brookings, supported by a $25,000 annual investment from Vision Brookings for 2023-2025, continues to make a measurable impact in workforce retention by engaging SDSU students, new residents, and young professionals. Established to help address workforce shortages, the initiative expanded significantly in its first two years. By developing programs and fostering partnerships, Connect Brookings is creating pathways to retain local graduates, strengthen the workforce, a

Brookings has gained statewide recognition for its innovative response to the growing childcare crisis. The Brookings Child Care Collaborative (BCCC), supported by Brookings Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), was recently highlighted as a model community in the South Dakota Child Care Task Force’s latest report on sustainable childcare solutions.

Vision Brookings is more than just an initiative; it’s a commitment to the future of our community. Jeff and Heidi Gullickson are proud to be part of doing just that. As lifelong Brookings residents and SDSU graduates, they have seen firsthand how collaboration and strategic investment shape the city’s success. Heidi’s career at the Brookings Chamber of Commerce and now the Brookings Area United Way has deepened her understanding of what it takes to build a thriving community