The Wowayanke Summer Camp

Wowayanke Summer Camp's official Website!
Our mission is to empower the children of the Rosebud Indian Reservation by helping them build the resiliency they need to rise above challenges and inspiring in them a love of learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
WHY?
The unemployment rate on the Rosebud Indian Reservation is 85%.
44% of students do not graduate high school, and those that do graduate will have achieved, on average, at the level of 8th graders from more affluent areas.
Most devastating of all, the suicide rate among youth on the reservation is 10 times the national average.
Who?
Third-, Fourth-, and Fifth-grade children
To help change these startling statistics, several past and current He Dog teachers have partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Rosebud to found the Wowayanke ("knowledge" in the Lakota language) Summer Camp.
This Year's Camp Activities:
Explore the Black Hills of South Dakota
Camp, climb and cave
Develop leadership and teamwork skills as they gradually take over camp responsibilities
Perform science experiments at the School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota
ID plants on a Botany Hike and teach what they learn to others.
Camp Goals:
To be free of charge for the children.
Wowayanke means "knowledge" in the Lakota language and is a key component of our goal to empower Rosebud's children to rise above challenges. The experiences they gain through the summer camp will teach them life skills, self-confidence, and provide them with background knowledge they can draw on to enhance their education.
The money raised will go to:
Of course, these activities and the associated equipment cost money. This camp will only be a success if we are able to secure the funds we need for gear, transportation, food and activities. Please help us open Wowayanke Summer Camp to children this summer.
Here are the ways you can help:
-DONATE at whatever level you are able. (We are linked to PayPal through our website below to make donating quick and easy.)
Suggested donation levels, or choose a level that is right for you.
$5 dollars for a camper's meal*
$40 dollars to allow a child to climb*
$150 dollars for a 6-person tent*
$400 to sponsor a child*
*Funds may be allocated elsewhere if enough of your selected item has been acquired.
Wowayanke Summer Camp is a branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Rosebud a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax deductible.
-HELP SPREAD THE WORD, MAYBE YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO DONATE AT THIS PRESENT MOMENT, BUT YOU MAY KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN. Let Friends and Family know.
-POST a link to our website on your MySpace or Facebook page.
Wowayanke Summer Camp's official Website!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
About Rosebud:
Located in south-central South Dakota, the Rosebud Indian Reservation is home to the "Sicangu Lakota Oyate" or "Burnt Thigh People." On the Rosebud, cottonwood lined streams wind between grass-covered hills. Roiling thunderheads, signs of distant storms, are often seen on the horizon. Here in the heart of the Great Sioux Nation, seasonal rodeos and community celebrations welcome visitors. Drum Songs can be heard on the local radio station, and children learn to sing at an early age, honoring fallen soldiers with their voices and drum each morning when the American Flag is raised.