Shooting for the Future: Sicangu Youth Basketball Camp 🙌🏼
This July, Sicangu Co Learning & Development teamed up with Todd County School District to host a two-day Youth Basketball Camp at Todd County High School Gym in Mission, South Dakota, and the community turned out in strong numbers, with over 40 participants taking part.
Held July 16–17, the free camp welcomed boys and girls entering 6th through 12th grade, with sessions split by age group: 10:00am–12:00pm for 6th–8th graders and 12:00pm–2:00pm for 9th–12th graders.
Campers had the opportunity to learn from Coach Sherron Dorsey-Walker, an American pro basketball coach and former player with eight years of professional experience. Coach Dorsey-Walker currently serves as a coaching associate with the Texas Legends (NBA G League), an affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, bringing real pro-level insight and instruction straight to Todd County's youth.
Pilamayaye (thank you) to everyone who came out, and a special thanks to Sicangu Co Learning & Development for sponsoring this incredible opportunity for our young athletes!
Lights, Camera, Outlast⭐
This summer's Outlast x Sicangu Co. Summer Film Institute was one for the books. 19 students completed all five days of the program, diving into hands-on filmmaking and storytelling throughout the week.
Engagement was high throughout the week, and the camp concluded with a strong turnout at the student screening, where families and community members gathered to see what the students created.
Looking ahead, plans are already underway for next year's camp. With a strong group of returning students expected, organizers are aiming to bring back a more advanced program to build on the skills students developed this summer.
A huge thank-you to everyone who made this camp possible; staff, families, and of course, the students themselves, whose creativity and enthusiasm made it one of the best camps yet!
Watch This Summer's Student Films!
Curious about what our Outlast x Sicangu Co. Summer Film Institute students created this year? Their films are now up on YouTube! Check out the full playlist and see the creativity, storytelling, and hard work that came out of this year's camp.
Give these young filmmakers some support by watching, liking, and sharing their work!
Reaching for the Stars!
This summer, the Sicangu-NASA Star Knowledge Project (Wiċaḣpi ki uƞspeuƞkiċ'iċhiyapi "we learn about the stars") brought local youth together to explore astronomy through both Western science and Lakota star knowledge. Through this partnership between Sicangu Co, NASA, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's Education Department, students in grades 6-12 took part in hands-on experiments, storytelling sessions with local experts and elders, and cohort gatherings throughout the summer.
A highlight of the program was a field trip to Hesapa (the Black Hills), where students camped, stargazed, and visited the Journey Museum and the Sanford Underground Research Facility, connecting cultural knowledge with cutting-edge science.
The community celebrated the program with its 3rd annual Sicangu Star Party, held at Todd County Middle School, where local youth and families joined in hands-on activities, building telescopes, exploring astronomy apps, building model solar systems, and stargazing with advanced telescopes, and capped it off with a shared meal.
Students wrapped up the summer by working on final projects to share with the Sicangu Oyate, and participants received a stipend upon completion of the program.
We're incredibly proud of the 15 students from 5 schools across the Rosebud who dedicated their time to exploring the stars, both through Western science and Lakota star knowledge. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our partners at SDSU, especially Larry Browning, whose support made this second year of the program possible, and to our intern Mackenzie Wike for her dedication throughout.
To our students: keep looking up, stay curious, and never let your hunger for knowledge fade. We can't wait to see where your journey leads next.