Wellness Interns learning about nutrition and preparing healthy meals in the Keya (Turtle) Cafe’s commercial-grade kitchen. Photo courtesy Cheyenne River Youth Project
Cheyenne River Youth Project Graduates 184 Teen Interns
By Jim Kent
Lakota Country Times Correspondent
lakotacountrytimes.com EAGLE BUTTE– The Cheyenne River Youth Project has announced the graduation of 184 tribal members from its “Center of Life” teen internship program. Internships focus on sustainable agriculture, social enterprise, wellness and art along with instilling a sense of economic responsibility in those who take part. Over the past three years the project has provided instruction, mentorship, workshops, certifications, real-life job experience and wages to teenaged tribal members. Julie Garreau is the project’s executive director. She explained that the real goal is for young people to gain valuable skills that will serve them well all their lives as well as having a lasting impact on the Cheyenne River reservation’s economy. “They receive upon completion of their internship curriculum a stipend which comes to about $500,” commented Garreau. “Some of the kids have gone on to buy lawn mowers or musical equipment or done other things that maybe help them grow. Some of them will help the families. Some of them will buy their school clothes. Some of them will spend it on whatever they want to spend it on…but it’s their money…so that’s fine. What I love are the kids who are…you know…they’re taking it so that they’re kind of using the money and it takes them a little bit further. I like that.” For example, noted Garreau, the teen who used his stipend to buy a lawn mower and started providing local lawn-care services. Three-hundred fifty-two Cheyenne River Sioux teens have graduated the internship program since its inception in 2014.
Sustainable Agriculture interns tending the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s 2-acre, naturally grown Winyan Toka Win (Leading Lady) garden. Photo courtesy Cheyenne River Youth Project
Garreau recalled that when the teen intern program was first launched there were only 10 slots available – and those were all in sustainable agriculture. “Which means they learned about gardening,” said Garreau. “About soil conservation. About all those kinds of things associated with land and what Mother earth can do for you. It was very popular and more than 60 teens applied for the internship positions.” But Garreau wanted to do more, especially since the internship program gave her staff the opportunity to spend more one-on-one time with the teens than they generally do during a normal day within the Cheyenne River Youth Project. “The project offers after-school activities for kids in two centers,” Garreau explained. “One center is for ages 4 to 12, the other is for ages 13 to 18. They drop in. They’re surrounded by staff who will provide them with a meal. Snacks. Maybe help with school work and those sorts of things. They play in the gymnasium. They do all that sort of stuff. But when you have 125 kids here each day you don’t often get the chance to do that one-to-one. But internship does that.” Garreau noted that teen intern program really gives her staff the opportunity to talk to the teens, spend time with them and help them grow in areas that kids really need help with in order to become healthier grown-ups. “Some of the core classes our kids would take would be in financial literacy,” Garreau commented. “It might be in first-aid and safety. It would be in wellness…you know, emotional health…physical health…spiritual health. We’re just trying ot help them become much more well-rounded individuals.”
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With the program expanded to internships in 4 different areas, added Garreau, teens still take the standard classes but can sign up to focus on art, business, sustainable agriculture or mentoring. In the end, added Garreau she feels good about being able to provide the teens with money for the work they’ve done in the program as well as being able to teach them about being responsible in how the spend it. (Jim Kent is a freelance writer and radio producer who lives in Hot Springs. He is a contributing columnist to the Lakota Country Times and former editor of The New Lakota Times. He can be heard on South Dakota Public Radio, National Public Radio and National Native News Radio. Jim can be reached at kentvfte@gwtc.net) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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