Youth Programs
We believe our youth are not only the future, but are leaders, culture bearers, and changemakers in the present. Young people play a central role in planning, organizing, and leading efforts that reduce stigma around mental health, prevent substance use, and strengthen cultural identity.
Guided by the principle, “Nothing about them without them,” we meet youth where they are both developmentally and culturally. We create affirming spaces that build identity, belonging, and connection, which are powerful protective factors against the challenges they face.
Our approach aims to break cycles of stigma, disconnection, and underinvestment by nurturing youth leadership and uplifting Lakota culture as a foundation for wellness and community strength.
Throughout the 2022-2023-2024 school years, the students, staff, and administration at Eagle Butte School District Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School have wholeheartedly embraced and benefited from the events and activities that the Keya Foundation provides.
​The youth of our community deserve the best and Keya Foundation has the potential to collaborate with all other organizations to make that happen.
Natural Helpers Program
The Natural Helpers Program is a peer-support initiative that builds on the natural support networks already present in schools. Students often turn to trusted friends and adults when facing challenges. This program equips those peer leaders with the tools to recognize signs of distress, offer meaningful support, and connect others with appropriate resources.
Through training, students develop leadership, empathy, and resilience, while helping to create a more supportive school environment that actively addresses mental health needs through school based activities and events.
We successfully piloted the program during the 2024–2025 school year with sixth-grade students at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School, and the results were highly encouraging. Based on the positive response, we will continue and expand the program into the upcoming school year.
Good Relatives Circle
The Good Relative Circle is an expansion of the Natural Helpers program, designed to support continued leadership development beyond sixth grade. With guidance from school staff and advisors, students begin building foundational leadership and peer-support skills in sixth grade. As they grow, they transition into the Good Relative Circle—a cohort focused on community leadership grounded in Lakota values.
Good Relative Circle students take the lead in organizing culturally rooted, healing-centered mental health awareness campaigns. Through this work, they deepen their leadership skills while expanding their impact beyond the school, strengthening connections throughout the community, promoting wellness, and embodying what it means to be a good relative.
Classroom Connections
We are grateful for the many opportunities to collaborate with our valued school partners at both Cheyenne-Eagle Butte and Windswept Academy Schools. Through our Classroom Connections efforts, we work with partners to bring culturally grounded and engaging activities directly to students.
Highlights include the monthly Good Relative Award, which honors students who exemplify Lakota values; self-care workshops that teach healthy ways to manage stress; tipi teachings rooted in cultural knowledge; and interactive activities like obstacle course games that build teamwork and critical thinking.
Each activity is designed to provide students with meaningful opportunities to participate, develop important life skills, and be recognized for their growth. By fostering leadership, strengthening relationships, and celebrating achievements, we support student connection, confidence, and overall well-being.
Help us do better!
We want to hear from you! Answer our short survey to help us improve!
Become a volunteer!
Spend meaningful time in our community by supporting programs that uplift youth, culture, and wellness. Whether you help at events, share your skills, or simply show up for our youth, your time makes a difference. Join us in building a stronger, more connected Cheyenne River.
What are youth interested in?
Through an anonymous survey of students in grades 7–12, we asked what skills they’re most interested in learning. Here’s what they shared:
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Cultural: 39% (arts, language, stewardship)
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Hands-On Skills: 37% (car repair, cooking, gardening)
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Social-Emotional Wellness: 31% (relationships, stress management)
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Personal Development: 24% (financial literacy, time management)
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Career Skills: 20% (public speaking, leadership)
These insights help guide youth programming that’s relevant and empowering.