Students Make a Difference by Serving Others

Young boys and girls today are destined to change the world. In large and small ways, they will impact the future for themselves and others — starting with the community right outside their front doors.

This is especially true for the members of two service groups that St. Joseph's Indian School students participate in as part of a collaboration with the Chamberlain School District.

Explorers: a Service Group for Young Men

It's important young men have positive male role models — men who can help mold them into future leaders. This is what Explorers is all about.

Every Thursday morning during the school year, seven St. Joseph's Indian School boys in sixth through eighth grades meet with local Chamberlain Middle School boys. During meetings, the group discusses "man stuff" like shaving, how to properly shake someone's hand, tying a tie and more.

At its core, the Explorers is a service group. The boys recognize community needs and host fundraisers to make positive changes.

Some of the projects they have sponsored include a community fishing pier, a soccer field and the Explorer's Baseball Field in Chamberlain. The boys have also helped many local people with financial assistance due to illness or hardship.

Y.E.S. Girls: a Service Group for Young Women

Y.E.S. stands for Young, Empowered, Strong. The purpose of the group is to empower young women with self-confidence to become strong leaders.

Six St. Joseph's girls in sixth through eighth grades meet with local Chamberlain Middle School girls two Thursdays a month. The meetings teach girls life skills like manners and etiquette, baking, proper hygiene and how to properly introduce yourself and others. The meetings also feature guest speakers of strong women from the Chamberlain community — business owners, health advocates or those with a special talent to share.

The Y.E.S. Girls host fundraisers throughout the year for service projects. Service projects have included purchasing Christmas presents for developmentally disabled members of Dakota Milestones and making fleece tie blankets for elderly residents at Regency Retirement Living in Chamberlain.

Because of you, students at St. Joseph's Indian School are escaping the cycle of poverty and growing into the productive citizens and caring leaders of tomorrow. Wóphila Tȟáŋka — many thanks — for your friendship.

Extend Your Impact

Contact Denise Hyland at dhyland@stjo.org or 1-800-584-9200 to discover how to ensure the difference you're making today continues for future generations of Lakota children in need.