Lakota Children's Enrichment, Inc.

This program challenges youth and young adults (13-24) to create a written, spoken word or artistic entry based upon an assigned prompt.
A panel of renowned judges select winners and runners-up who are presented with monetary prizes and have their work published. The schools of the Grand Prize winners each receive a $1,000 grant, which is applied towards essential needs. All entrants receive a Certificate of Achievement. Judges have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner Laureate Jody Williams, Spoken Word Sensation Jasmine Mans, Armenian Genocide expert Peter Balakian and Iranian American Susanne Pari.

The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a community of emerging leaders from across the Pine Ridge Reservation, who serve as ambassadors for Lakota Children’s Enrichment, Inc. YAB members provide LCE with concerns, relevant trends, feedback and guidance on issues impacting their lives, and also help shape LCE’s programs. Through mentorship and leadership training, LCE helps these young adults develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to remain in school, and to become good leaders and activists. YAB members are from communities across the reservation and are proving that anything is possible.

Our annual campaigns collect books, art, writing, music and sports equipment to restore programs that have been cut due to budget restrictions. Studies have shown that students who participate in arts and/or music programs are three times more likely to win an attendance award, and that access to curricular and extracurricular arts and sports programs lowers drop out rates. Many schools lack the essential equipment and materials for arts programs, they have skeletal book supplies and their students lack proper shoes and equipment to participate in sports programs. We’re filling those gaps by sponsoring sports, art, music, libraries and other school and community based enrichment programs.

We support local grass-roots initiatives, on a case-by-case basis, by providing stipends and seed-funding for local volunteerism and unique opportunities. For example, in 2014 we supported a college tour led by teachers for High School students. We occasionally fill wish lists for families and children facing extreme need. We sponsor Lakota dance, culture and Language revitalization initiatives. We also accept and review proposals from youth for projects they want to lead.

We produce holiday parties for children in the communities of Kyle and Pine Ridge. In addition we provide many schools with toys to use in incentive programs, day cares and preschools. Our big drives and purchases are sent to the Reservation in December. Parties are run by Youth Advisory Board members, under the supervision of adult mentors.

Through the President’s Volunteer Service Awards, we promote advocacy and volunteerism. Our volunteers from across the country log in hours of service.