| Dakota Collegiate | |
| Address: | 661 Dakota Street |
| City: | Winnipeg |
| Province: | Manitoba |
| Postcode: | R2M 3K3 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Schooltype: | Secondary school |
| Fundingtype: | Public |
| Motto: | Instare Veritatem Virtute Praestare |
| Motto Translation: | Seek the truth, Strive for excellence |
| Founded: | 1963 |
| Schoolboard: | Louis Riel School Division |
| Superintendent: | Christian Michalik |
| Principal: | Jill Mathez |
| Grades Label: | Grades |
| Grades: | Grades 9–12 |
| Enrollment: | 1235 |
| Language: | English |
| Colours: | Black and Gold |
| Team Name: | Lancers |
| Website: | School Website |
Dakota Collegiate is a grade 9 to 12 public high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with an enrollment of 1235 students as of January 2020.[1] Dakota offers Advanced Placement courses in limited subject areas, that include mathematics and the sciences.[2] On May 3, 2014, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.[3]
Dakota Collegiate opened in 1963 with 200 students and 20 teachers. In June 1964, there were 72 students in the first graduating class. Dakota began as an experimental team-teaching school and offered only University Entrance courses. Dakota now has roughly 1200 students, approximately 60 teachers, and offers over 120 courses. In 2012, it had a graduating class of roughly 280 students.
The Dakota Collegiate Lancers have earned 590 provincial sports titles since the school was founded.
During the 2011-2012 school year, Dakota Collegiate introduced the 21st Century Learning One-to-One initiative, in which all grade nine students were required to purchase their own laptop computer to use in their classes.[4] The computers were used to complete assignments, create presentations, and research information. This initiative continued in the 2012-2013 school year, with grade 9 and 10 students requiring laptops, and an open invitation for students in higher grades to bring their own devices if they desire.[5]
After 54 years of Dakota Collegiate's opening, the school never played a single home football game until the school raised money for "the field of dreams" project.[6] The school started fund raising money in late 2015 for a brand new football field, outdoor basketball court and a cricket pitch.[7] Dakota finished the project in late 2017. It took over $3,000,000 to complete building the football field, and it took over $180,000 to complete the basketball court. Fundraising for the project was through gala dinners with guest speakers such as Troy Westwood, Matt Dunigan, Milt Stegall, Rod Hill,[8] Dale Hawerchuk, Mark Scheifele,[9] Jon Montgomery, and Donovan Bailey.[10] The field got its name from a $250,000 donation from the family of auto dealer Dan Murray.[11] The basketball court was named after former Dakota Collegiate coach and teacher Dale Bradshaw.[12] Between 1968 and 1982, Bradshaw coached Dakota Collegiate to five provincial basketball titles.[13] In 2019, it was announced that the city of Winnipeg would be funding two new tennis and pickleball courts.[14] The courts grand opening was held on October 5, 2020.[15]