Friends of the Children-He Sapa – Guiding Paths: Mentoring Indigenous Youth and Families for a Brighter Future
One example of impact comes from our focus on literacy and academic engagement. Through partnerships with local schools and community partners, youth are engaged in culturally grounded literacy activities designed to strengthen reading skills and confidence. Friends-He Sapa serves youth attending 19 elementary schools across our service area, each already focused on improving students’ literacy skills. To support this focus, we developed a literacy program centered on evidence-based, culturally grounded practices, with the goal of 80% of youth making progress toward their annual academic goals, including meeting state literacy proficiency standards by 3rd grade. When the local Rotary International chapter in Rapid City learned of our goals in Fall 2025, they partnered with us and raised over $106,500 to support this effort. Because of their investment in our literacy program, enrolled youth and families can visit our Clubhouse in Rapid City to access technology, individualized support, workshops, and dedicated resources that have been shown to promote academic success. Because our program is committed to each individual child through high school graduation, this intervention will improve attendance, close proficiency gaps, expand access to Advanced Placement courses, and support post-secondary success.