The “Power of Four” teen interns at the Cheyenne River Youth Project® have embarked on their first major project of the new year: a special fundraiser called “A Night in Venice.” This special Valentine’s Day event is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14 and will be held in the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center’s Keya (Lakota for “turtle”) Cafe.
Attendees will be treated to a candle-lit, four-course Italian meal, including a bruschetta appetizer, a dinner salad, a choice of spaghetti with meatballs or lasagna for the entree and a cannoli dessert. Youth Programs Director Megan Guiliano and volunteer Jonathan Stuart-Moore will provide violin and cello music for diners to enjoy.
“We’re also going to project beautiful images of Venice onto the walls,” Guilano said. “To add a little extra fun, we’re providing love quizzes for couples to complete at their tables, each of which will be named for a famous couple.
“We’re really excited about the evening, because it offers couples on Cheyenne River a romantic restaurant alternative for Valentine’s Day,” she continued. “The nearest opportunities for fine dining are nearly two hours away, so we wanted to bring a little extra magic to our own backyard.”
Tickets are priced at $30 for couples, $25 for senior couples and $20 for singles. All proceeds will benefit CRYP’s youth programming.
The Power of Four interns will serve as wait staff for “A Night in Venice.” According to Camille LaPlante, youth programs assistant and Power of Four program coordinator, the teens have been hard at work preparing for the big night.
“We’ve had special role-playing activities and games to help them remember correct etiquette and what they must say when serving others,” she explained. “It’s going to be quite an experience for them, since our goal is to sell 60 tickets. That means serving dinner to approximately 120 people!”
She reported that the teens are eager to see the Keya Cafe open for a new event, especially since those who participated in Power of Four last year worked on developing a business plan for the cafe.
“Our goal is to see the Keya Cafe open regularly to the community, serving meals and snacks throughout the day,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “The cafe is a key component of our sustainable systems initiative, and we’re hoping to one day see a stable revenue stream that will help support our programs, family services and ongoing operations.”
Garreau said she’s also delighted to see the Power of Four teen interns taking such a strong leadership role with the cafe.
“The cafe really provides important lessons in all the Power of Four modules — leadership, job skills, life skills and wellness,” she explained. “To see the kids learning so much and showing such enthusiasm for a local, entrepreneurial business enterprise is extremely gratifying.”
In other Power of Four news, several new teen participants have joined the program for 2012. Now that the participants’ roster has been filled, LaPlante said the program is off and running for the new year.
“One of our goals for February is to put together the youth advisory council for CRYP’s board of directors,” she commented. “We also want to start creating youth surveys for youth who attend the teen center and for teens around the community. We’re hoping that this will be a fun way for all of our local teens to voice their concerns and share their opinions.”
LaPlante and Guiliano also mentioned the possibility of the teen interns filming their peers, perhaps through a series of short videos or through a documentary. The long-term vision is to create a Cheyenne River Film Festival, where the budding filmmakers can share their work and celebrate each other’s successes — and where all the community’s young people can make sure their voices are heard.
LaPlante also mentioned that the teen interns will attend a series of special training sessions in February, March, April and May that will address such critical topics as school violence, bullying, drug recognition and gang prevention/awareness.
“The sessions are designed for CRYP staff and members of the Cheyenne River community who have a vested interest in these issues, but we also feel it’s important for our Power of Four interns to participate,” she said. “They are student leaders, and it’s vital that they gain a strong understanding of the influences at work around them — on the streets, at home and at school. We also want to make sure we give them to tools to respond to these influences in a positive way.”
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.
Each Cheyenne River teen in the Power of Four program serves 16 hours per month and, for this service, receives an $88 monthly stipend. And it’s not too late to get involved; LaPlante said CRYP will be accepting applications for two remaining program positions. For more information, call her at 605-964-8200 or send e-mail to camille.cryp@gmail.com.
To follow the progress of the Power of Four teens, visit their blog at http://cheyenneriveryouthprojectpo4.wordpress.com.
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.