As the 2011-12 fiscal year drew to a close last month, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, announced that several local groups were able to rent its Cokata Wiconi Teen Center facilities thanks to scholarships from Alexandria, Virginia-based Running Strong for American Indian Youth®. The scholarships covered CRYP’s rental fees, which benefit ongoing youth programming and Family Services at the nearly 25-year-old, not-for-profit organization.
“This past year, the Running Strong building scholarships allowed us to offer portions of our facilities to five local groups who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to conduct their classes and camps,” said Tamara LaPlante, CRYP’s office manager. “We’re thrilled, because we firmly believe that Cokata Wiconi can and should be a resource for our entire community.”
Four Bands Community Fund hosted its six-week CREATE Class at Cokata Wiconi; the course teaches financial literacy skills and gives attendees an opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship through such tasks as writing a business plan. Participants included teen interns in the “Power of Four” program as well as members of the general public.
In addition, Cokata Wiconi hosted the Hamilton Basketball Camp for teens; Bonnie’s Quilts sewing classes, which taught youth and adults how to sew and make Lakota star quilts; and the USDA Summer Youth Camp, which teaches young people how to prepare fresh, healthy meals and how to establish good eating habits.
A Running Strong building-rental scholarship also allowed CRYP to assist a local organization suffering in the aftermath of a devastating fire.
“Our local Head Start program has used our facility for most of the year, ever since their building burned down,” LaPlante said. “They conduct hearing checks here, and they use Cokata Wiconi as a safe recreational space for their kids to play.”
“We’re so grateful to Running Strong for providing these building-rental scholarships,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “With 26,000 square feet of space at Cokata Wiconi and nearly 5,000 square feet of space at The Main, we’re consistently looking at high utility bills, not to mention the routine costs of providing programming and services in both facilities.
“Building rental fees are part of an essential revenue stream for us so we can keep the doors open and the lights on for our kids and families,” she continued. “Thanks to Running Strong, we can continue to generate the funds we need while also providing much-needed assistance to other local groups. It’s a wonderful scenario for all of us.”
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 visitwww.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.