Southwest Dubois Earns Regional Innovation Awards

At the Regional Opportunity Initiatives’ 2026 Annual Report to the Region at French Lick Resort, the Southwest Dubois County School Corporation was recognized with two awards for their contributions to education and workforce development. 

Southwest Dubois received the Regional Welcoming Award for its Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, which began at Huntingburg Elementary in 2019. According to the district, the award “recognizes innovative efforts that help attract, integrate and retain a diverse workforce and newcomers to the Indiana Uplands.” As DLI has continued to grow, a bilingual teacher has been added to each grade level. The program aims to create a pipeline of bilingual graduates at Southridge High School. By 2033, Southridge High School expects at least 50 of its graduates each year to be able to earn a Spanish minor. 

Also at Southridge, the OFS program was honored with the Employer Innovation Award for its Crafted by OFS Academy, a manufacturing education partnership with the high school. The program helps students gain practical experience in manufacturing while being introduced to careers in high-demand fields. “OFS helped transform a classroom into an advanced manufacturing lab with industry-standard equipment for welding, CNC machining, routing, upholstery and other manufacturing processes.” Southridge teacher Sam Collins Jason Diekhoff of OFS partner to mentor students two days each week. Students learn industry-specific skills like operating equipment, solving problems, and reading blueprints, and many of their finished projects are used throughout the school. 

Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) is a nonprofit focused on strengthening economic and community development across the 11 counties in the Indiana Uplands. ROI’s programs are intended to expand opportunities for students while helping employers build a skilled workforce. Southwest Dubois’ two awards are part of ROI’s annual Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Awards, which recognize people, organizations and partnerships contributing to the region’s education, workforce, economic development and quality-of-place efforts. Together, the programs provide students with practical skills and experiences while helping build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of the region. 
 
For more information on these and other updates, visit www.swdubois.k12.in.us 

 - Drew Hasselbring