About South Dakota

Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to volunteer at a youth centre located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The non-profit youth centre serves children and families living on the reservation and is a grass-roots organisation run by members of the Lakota tribe and the surrounding communities. The Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation is home to around 15,000 residents and lies within two of the poorest counties in the United States. The unemployment rate is high, occasionally reaching over 75% in some areas, and the majority of families live at or below the poverty level (according to USA standards). As much as 50% of the population of the reservation is under the age of 18 years old, which means that youth and outreach programs have become vitally important to securing a viable future for the Lakota people.

For more information about the program please visit the South Dakota program page on the Global Volunteer Network website.

Recent South Dakota Journals:

5/18/11

Posted by Emily Rishel at 2:21 am South Dakota No Responses »

May 182011

Yesterday morning was my orientation. We were briefly interrupted by a “pow wow” being held for the kids last day at school (which is today.) The pow wow was interesting, I hope to see another one before I leave. We then finished the orientation and had lunch, which was followed by a quick tour of the facilities. Then we worked turning the soil in the garden (my arms are sore this morning!)

After working in the garden, it was time for the kids to arrive. I worked in “The Main” yesterday, which is where the kids 4-12 come. We played in the gym for a bit and then moved to arts and crafts. They ate and then had more play time until 8PM. After they left, the rest of the volunteers and I cleaned “The Main.” Afterwords, I took a walk with two of the other volunteers, and we then watched Lion King via VHS.

Today I will experience the “Teen Center,” which is for kids 13-18.The weather is a bit depressing today. The sky is practically black and it is going to rain/storm any second. It is supposed to be like this for the next week… Ugh! Eagle Butte is definitely different. A very small place in the U.S. that many probably can’t even imagine- up until this point I definitely couldn’t.

I’m excited for June 1. This is when the hours will be extended for all of the kids and more events will be held. I’m looking forward to being a bit busier and getting used to this type of life.

I feel bad I’m having trouble getting used to this. I’m the volunteer here for the shortest period of time, but feel like I’m having the most trouble adjusting. I guess time will tell.

5/17/11

Posted by Emily Rishel at 3:15 am South Dakota No Responses »

May 172011

Travel day/first night has passed. It is different than I expected, but that’s what I’m here for, right? I met some of the children last night and they seem so sweet. I’m excited to see them again later today. The other volunteers are from all over- New Zealand, Germany, Michigan, New York and Texas. They all seem nice as well. They have been here for very long periods of time.

My orientation is at 9:30 (Mountain Time) this morning. Until the children are out of school they don’t arrive at the Youth Project until 4PM. We start working at 10AM usually, then take our lunch break noon-130. We then prepare for the children to arrive. They stay till 8PM and then clean. Starting June 1, the children will come at 1PM.

The weather is still questionable, but that’s May. This morning it’s pretty chilly and extremely windy!

5/14/11

Posted by Emily Rishel at 9:50 am South Dakota No Responses »

May 142011

My name is Emily Rishel. I am a junior at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. I am traveling to South Dakota to work on the Cheyenne River Youth Project to gain experience with young children in different circumstances than I’m used to. I look forward to my experiences over the next 7 weeks.

USAOK

Posted by Andrew Horwood at 11:26 am South Dakota No Responses »

Jul 022008

Howdy, This is not a journal entry, so much as it is a one-off description of what I do in Eagle Butte. I recommend the GVN partner organisation in South Dakota without hesitation. The kids are neat. They are vibrant and fun. The staff are helpful and committed. The community is appreciative and supportive. The primary task here is working with the kids. We have two centres for this, the Youth Centre (YC) and the Teen Centre (TC). The YC takes kids aged 4-12. We give them a safe place to play for 6 hours a day. Entertaining the kids can involce a lot of things. I spend a lot of time pushing kids on the swings and chasing them in games of ‘monster’. I write and learn songs on guitar to play for them. We organise movies and Nintendo gaming on the TV and arts and crafts activities. We also provide them with dinner and supervise them for garden work. Over summer we are running our literacy program, to encourage reading. Other special programs are being planned as well. A sleepover will be held here in a week and we are hosting a jungle themed dance in a few days. We had a birthday party for the kids a couple of weeks ago. The activities here are many and varied but ultimately all made enjoyable by the energy and appreciation the children show. The TC is a magnificent facility. It has an internet cafe and a basketball court. The teens love these facilities, as well as the foosball and ping pong tables. I enjoy talking to the teens over a game of monopoly, or playing them in basketball. The value of this facility to the community cannot be underestimated. When we let the teens hang out here on a [click here to read more]