PIERRE, S.D.(KELO)- The people and places of South Dakota’s past and present offer some powerful life lessons for our students.

That’s the approach of a new program announced by the State Department of Education.

Education Secretary Dr. Joe Graves says the idea is to go beyond the academic study of things like history and also learn about life at the same time.

Graves says the curriculum is designed to be part of a school counseling program or general instruction.

It’s for students in grades four through six.