Lower sioux will expand the wawokiya coming-of-age mentoring project, a promising prevention and culturally grounded project designed to prevent the likelihood of justice-system involvement among…

The Lower Sioux Community Council will expand its Wawokiya Coming-of-Age Mentoring Project through a $500,000 project grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Tribal Youth Program (CFDA 16.731). The Lower Sioux Community Council aims to prevent juvenile delinquency and justice system involvement among 250 Lower Sioux youth ages 9-17 by increasing awareness, access, and participation in culturally grounded prevention services and workshops. Key objectives include recruiting and enrolling up to 100 youth annually in mentoring activities, fostering community engagement through training 10 community mentors, and expanding independence and cultural knowledge for 20 youth through a coming-of-age ceremony. The grant period runs from October 1, 2022 through September 28, 2027.

Lower sioux will expand the wawokiya coming-of-age mentoring project, a promising prevention and culturally grounded project designed to prevent the likelihood of justice-system involvement among 250 lower sioux youth, ages 9-17. The goal of the wawokiya coming of age mentoring continuation project is to prevent juvenile delinquency and justice system involvement among 250 lower sioux youth, ages 9-17, by expanding wawokiya, their research-informed, culturally based mentoring project that promotes BELONGING, MASTERY, independence, and generosity. To achieve this goal, lower sioux established the following objectives: increase awareness and access (BELONGING) to prevention services for lower sioux youth, by recruiting and enrolling up to up to 100 youth, ages 9-17, in the wawokiya project annually; foster community engagement through recruitment & training of up to 10 community mentors annually, including elders, staff, parents/guardians, and lgbtq+ mentors, identified by the youth participants; increase traditional knowledge and skill (MASTERY) through cultural and life-skills workshops offered by the wawokiya program and partners; expand independence and generosity for up to 20 youth annually by completing the cansayapi coming of age ceremony and participating in a community give-away.