Three tribal elders are being honored today for serving as mentors to at-risk Indian students in Rapid City, South Dakota..

Gertrude Hutchinson, Richard Gerry and Lucille Runsafter are part of the Lakolkiciyapi Room program. Lakolkiciyapi means classroom in Lakota.

The goal of the program is to help incoming freshmen improve their grades and attendance rates. Lakota culture is part of the curriculum.

About 12 percent of Rapid City students are Indian but only 25 percent will finish school there.

Get the Story:
Elder mentors nurture Rapid City students (The Rapid City Journal 1/4)

National Indian Education Study:
Overview | Executive Summary | Full Report

Relevant Links:
National Center for Education Statistics - http://nces.ed.gov
Nation's Report Card - http://www.nationsreportcard.gov

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