Teen interns participating in the Cheyenne River Youth Project®’s Power of Four program are hard at work this week, preparing for their first-ever “Mother’s Day & May Flowers Spring Craft Fair.” Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, this special event will give local craftspeople, artisans, bakers and other creative people a venue for exhibiting and selling their work.
Community members may purchase space in the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center gymnasium for the day, at a cost of $10 per table. In addition, staff and volunteers are selling tickets for a 50/50 Raffle. All proceeds will benefit CRYP youth programming and services.
“Our Power of Four teens are so excited about hosting the fair as a fundraiser for our organization,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “Not only is it giving them a sense of community involvement, it’s teaching them valuable business and marketing skills, all of which are essential to future leadership.”
At press time, the teens were busy creating the original banners and spring flowers that will adorn Cokata Wiconi on the day of the fair. They also will help to distribute flyers and spread the word locally.
“I’m excited to see them learning more about how to run a business, and they’re so happy to know that their efforts will help support CRYP, particularly when we have an important matching grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community,” Garreau said. “Making a contribution means a lot to them, since they know this is a difficult time.”
CRYP’s Power of Four program is designed to give teen interns the necessary training and support to learn how to represent their peers and to serve as advocates for their needs and the needs of others in productive, meaningful ways. All activities and events fall under the umbrellas of four key modules — leadership, life skills, job skills and wellness.
Power of Four’s primary focus is to build a 10-member youth advisory board that will represent local young people among CRYP’s board of directors. This year’s interns: Madison Gripne, Meta Charger, Romie Rabbit, Sierra Bobtail Bear, Selena Swan, Allen Meeter, Elijah Brown Wolf, Cecil Baker and Murray Red Fox.
Each Cheyenne River teen in the Power of Four program serves 16 hours per month and, for this service, receives an $88 monthly stipend. The 16-hour service requirement includes meetings, which take place every Monday and Thursday at 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. And it’s not too late to get involved; to learn more about the Power of Four and to apply for an internship position, contact Guiliano or Smith at (605) 964-8200 or send email to megan.cryp@gmail.com or lindsey.cryp@gmail.com.
For more information about the Mother’s Day & May Flowers Craft Fair, call the CRYP office at (605) 964-8200 or stop at the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. Community vendors may pay up front or on the day of the fair; set-up is scheduled for 8 a.m. The doors will open to the public at 9 a.m.
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project® and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project®, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.