The new year is shaping up to be an exciting one for the “Power of Four” teen interns at the Cheyenne River Youth Project®. Not only have they actively participated in CRYP’s “Circle of Storytellers” oral-history project and attended a performance of the celebrated Blue Man Group in Rapid City, they are gearing up for a series of Earth Day community service projects and a potentially life-changing trip to the nation’s capital.
“February and March were busy months for us,” said Megan Guiliano, CRYP’s youth programs director. “In February, our teen interns took an important leadership role in our Keya Cafe through a ‘Night in Venice’ fundraising dinner, and alongside staff members, they started attending a series of four important training sessions that deal with such critical issues as bullying, drug awareness and gang prevention. Then, in March, we got them involved in our ‘Circle of Storytellers’ project.”
Before that project kicked off, however, CRYP staff took the young interns on a March 10 field trip to Rapid City. There, the group enjoyed laughing and dancing along with the Blue Man Group at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, a basketball break at a local park in the unseasonably warm weather and a hearty, family-style meal at the Golden Corral.
Then, on March 17, it was time for “Circle of Storytellers.” The interns welcomed respected Lakota elders Marcella LeBeau and Dr. Jim Garrett to the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center for an afternoon of storytelling and intergenerational bonding. Interns assisted with recording LeBeau and Garrett as they spoke, both on digital audio and digital video equipment; then, after the question-and-answer period concluded, they participated in a free-writing exercise based on what they’d heard.
“Both aspects of the day were key elements of ‘Circle of Storytellers,’ a project that was made possible through a grant from Citigroup’s Citi Foundation,” Guiliano said. “First, we want to record our elders sharing their histories and insights so we can build a digital library. Members of this generation are getting older and starting to pass on, and we want to make sure our community always has access to their shared wisdom and experience.
“In addition, we want our young people to be able to pass on that oral history through unique creations of their own,” she continued. “In this case, it was writing, but as the project progresses, it will include art in all imaginable media.”
Next, the Power of Four interns have started a series of weekly service projects dedicated to Earth Day and their home community. The projects will take place each Friday in April.
“Our first project was to clean up trash around the playground at The Main Youth Center and to clean graffiti off the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center,” said Lindsey Smith, CRYP’s new youth programs assistant. “Upcoming projects will include planting flowers, more graffiti clean-up and painting the playground equipment at The Main. We’ve empowered the interns by encouraging them to be creative and to choose service projects that will be both fun and meaningful to them.”
While the interns certainly are busy with the Earth Day service projects and are planning to attend additional training sessions that address school violence and gang prevention, their major focus this spring is to prepare for a late May trip to Washington D.C.
“The interns and their guardians have met with me and with Julie Garreau, our executive director, to discuss the trip and begin preparations,” Guiliano said. “The teens need to obtain photo IDs if they don’t already have them, and they’ll be writing essays about why the trip is important to them and what they hope to gain from the experience.”
Each week, the interns attend a dedicated Washington D.C. meeting to address questions and concerns about traveling, as many of the teens have never left South Dakota or flown on an airplane. They also discuss what activities and sights they might enjoy.
“In our weekly meetings, we’re engaging the teens in specific activities to help them prepare for the trip, such as researching the history and geography of the area, addressing political issues that we might discuss while we’re there and practicing public speaking so they are able to talk about the Power of Four program, the youth project and life here on Cheyenne River,” Guiliano said. “They are very excited, and we’re thrilled that we can give them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the city that lies at the core of American leadership and democracy.”
CRYP’s Power of Four program was 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. The council will continue in perpetuity, long after the official three-year internship program has ended. This year’s interns: Kelyn Ward, Romie Rabbit, Meta Charger, Madison Gripne, Allen Meeter, Trinity Montreal, Cecil Baker, Nate Benoist, Brandon Handboy, Sierra Bobtail Bear, Murray Red Fox and Elijah Brown Wolf.
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.
To follow the progress of the Power of Four teens, visit their blog at http://cheyenneriveryouthprojectpo4.wordpress.com. And 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.