ABERDEEN, S.D. – A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

The public is welcome at the ceremony, which will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, in the parking lot north of the former site of Jerde Hall. Guests are encouraged to park in the Barnett Center parking lot, and attend a reception in the Barnett Center lobby following the groundbreaking.

The new School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is one of three projects of the Educational Impact Campaign. The $45 million campaign, a collaborative effort between Northern State University and SDSBVI, has already received pledges totaling $35 million.

The new SDSBVI facility will be constructed at the site of the former NSU Jerde Hall, with a projected completion date of fall 2019.

The other two projects of the Educational Impact Campaign are the new NSU Athletic and Recreation Fields and an on-campus regional sports complex, which includes Dacotah Bank Stadium and Koehler Hall of Fame Softball Field.

Northern broke ground on the Athletic and Recreation Fields project in April, and the fields opened for the fall 2018 athletic season. Once SDSBVI has moved into the new school, its current facility will be demolished and work will begin spring 2020 on the regional sports complex, with completion expected by 2022.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $45 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.