Area students attending Youth Trooper Academy

South Dakota high school students from 18 different school districts will live the life of a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper this week.

The 23 students will attend the annual Youth Trooper Academy being held at the Mickelson Law Enforcement Training Center in Pierre. The event, now in its 10th year, is sponsored by the Highway Patrol and the South Dakota American Legion.

Academy activities began on Monday and will end with a graduation ceremony on Friday.  The students will be participating in classroom and hands-on training such as firearms safety, defensive driving, crash investigation, traffic stops, leadership, and citizenship.

  A couple of area students taking part in this week’s Academy are Kaeley Dixon of Brookings and Maya Lee of Dell Rapids. 

Academy participants were selected by representatives from the Highway Patrol and American Legion. Most of those chosen are high school juniors or seniors.

June 21, 2022