Native Americans rarely find it easy to adapt to learning environments in the city. Because of this constant problem, different schools like St Joseph Indian School had to come up to help these Americans pursue quality education.
According to Wikipedia, Native American boarding schools, also known as Indian Residential Schools, started in the United States during the late 19th and mid-20th centuries to assimilate Native American children and youth into Euro-American culture.
This article will inspect St Joseph’s Indian School, considering the admission requirements, process, tuition fees, acceptance rate, available programs, scholarships, and financial aid.
Table of contents
About St Joseph’s Indian School
St. Joseph’s is a Native American school that aims to improve the quality of life for Lakota (Sioux) children and families. As an apostolate of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s core goal is to educate Native American children and their families for life — mind, body, heart and spirit.
This goal propels the organization to educate and provide housing for over 200 Lakota (Sioux) children each year.
On so many reservations, child poverty and abuse are serious issues that many Indian children battle.
However, St. Joseph’s Indian School offers a helping hand to Native American children sensing a solid desire to revive the pride in their culture by learning the Lakota language, studying Native American culture, and healing the broken family circle wherein a lot of them emanate from.
Indeed, this organization allows Lakota (Sioux) children to escape extreme poverty and abuse when they attend St. Joseph’s Indian School. Students get access to all services and programs because of charitable contributions from generous supporters. Currently, over 200 children are benefiting from this school.
St Joseph’s Indian School Programs
Children in St. Joseph’s gain from personalized care plans that follow nationally approved and accredited techniques. Friends who support St. Joseph’s Native American programs help provide for every aspect of a child’s needs.
There are so many excellent programs at St. Joseph for kids to enter, and they include the following:
- Residential Living Program
- Education Program
- Cultural Awareness Program
- Lakota Language Program
- Religious Education Program
- Family Integration Program
- Physical Health Program
- Mental Health Program
- Outreach and Other Programs
Residential Living Program
St. Joseph’s Indian School offers you another place you can call home as a Native American youth in grades one through twelve. Native American families take their kids to St. Joseph’s with a firm assurance they will be safe, loved, and cared for in every way.
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There are no dormitories in this institution. The Native American children live in any of the 21 campus homes with two specially-trained houseparents. They live and play together just like any average family. All students learn life skills during their time in this school.
Education Program
St. Joseph’s educational programs are top-notch. After completing the eighth grade, this school can take up to 50 students into its high school. These students then get the proper training and guidance they need at that level. However, they don’t do it alone.
St. Joseph’s partners with Chamberlain High School to allow its students to be a powerful part of many sports, fine arts, and extra-curricular activities. Notwithstanding that they attend the local public high school, they still live on St. Joseph’s campus with their houseparents.
Cultural Awareness Program
Preserving and apportioning the Lakota (Sioux) culture is vital to every Native American program at St. Joseph’s. Each student has a strong cultural heritage which is appreciated by their fellow students and infused in the daily routine — both at school and home.
Some so many games and competitions help Native American students understand and communicate their cultural heritage, and it’s been helpful to them.
Lakota Language Program
St. Joseph’s recognizes and fully grasps the importance and the essence of the Lakota language to the culture of the Native American youth.
At St. Joseph’s, children in grades one through eight attend a regular Native American Studies class where they learn the Lakota language. Additionally, all classroom teachers push to include the Lakota language and culturally appropriate material in their standard curriculum.
Religious Education Program
When it comes to beliefs, St. Joseph takes this arm seriously. They have a robust idea of faith as they share strong affiliations with the Catholic church. Their belief in God pushes them to take spiritual exercises such as fasting, praying, etc.
However, to be a member of this school, you don’t need to be a Catholic, as they respect every student’s beliefs.
Family Integration Program
St. Joseph’s Indian School is serious regarding the engagement and inclusion of their Native American students’ families through personal visits, effective listening, identifying their demands and creating ways to meet unmet needs by connecting families to available resources, both at St. Joseph’s and in their local communities.
Each staff member intentionally reaches out to every student’s family throughout the year via phone, email, and postal mail and takes every opportunity to have face-to-face contact. This way, they build a strong connection with the students’ families while reassuring them of their child’s safety and care.
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Physical Health Program
St. Joseph’s health centre staff seeks to meet the physical health needs of all its students. St. Joseph’s has five full-time nurses on staff as they also work alongside healthcare providers from the local hospital. Each time, a physician is on campus to see students four days per week. Students visit the local hospital for something more severe than common childhood illnesses, like X-rays or blood tests.
All staff who work hand in hand with the Native American youth — like teachers, houseparents, and counsellors — also get training to deal with minor health problems.
Mental Health Program
Mental health is essential to each student’s path in this institution. For this reason, St. Joseph brought in some master-level mental health professionals to help students with mental health problems. All students have a personal counsellor they work with on a one-on-one basis.
All available clinical services team helps youngsters — and their families — deal with everything from homesickness and growing pains to drug addiction and every other problem.
Outreach and Other Programs
St. Joseph’s Indian School refuses to stay idle during the summer months. The Native American youth we serve do not have regular classes; however, many remain on campus to live in summer homes and enrol on other summer activities.
Additional Native American programs throughout the summer include a Summer Day Camp for local Native American youth, a travelling Bookmobile, a women’s shelter, and an adolescent care centre on a local reservation.
St Joseph’s Indian School Admission Process & Requirements
Before a child can gain admission into St. Joseph’s Indian School, the child must have downloaded two necessary forms, which include:
After you have filled out the forms, you send them to the school’s address, which is:
Admissions Office
St. Joseph’s Indian School
PO Box 89
Chamberlain, SD 57325
Call (605) 234-3465 or email their admissions office for answers if you want to inquire.
Tuition
Sending your child to a quality institution that will offer them personal guidance and counselling comes at an enormous cost. However, money isn’t the driving force behind St. Joseph’s Indian School. They don’t charge any parents’ tuition fees for bringing their kids.
But you know, feeding and accommodating these children come at a cost. It costs approximately $58,000 per child annually to meet all necessary needs. These costs include compensation for teachers, counsellors, and support personnel needed to run the school and its programs.
With the dedicated, professional staff who provide specialized care for over 200 students each year, you’re sure your child will graduate a better individual.
Scholarships at St Joseph’s Indian School
St. Joseph’s Indian School is proud to announce they awarded $171,933 to Native American youth pursuing higher education in the 2018-2019 school year. They’ve been able to sponsor over 130 students due to the generous offers they get from their sponsors.
You can apply for a college scholarship from St. Joseph’s Indian School by clicking on any of the links below.
Are there career Opportunities at St. Joseph?
Yes, there are employment opportunities. In fact, working at St. Joseph’s is more than just a job; it’s the noble labour of life.
At St. Joseph’s Indian School, much work is needed, from teaching to house parenting!
Joining our team requires dedication to quality, a positive outlook, and respect for the Lakota (Sioux) culture. We’re looking for people who fit the following criteria:
- Extreme commitment
- A huge capacity for sharing and caring; team player; participation in and respect for Lakota culture; spiritual growth
- The feeling of duty to assist others who are less fortunate
- The capacity to inspire young people to think, act, and learn
- Good endurance
- An affinity for order
Reviews of St Joseph’s Indian School
St. Joseph has received a good number of reviews from astounding platforms. Here are some great reviews you can find about this school.
Tamarakaywalther – Volunteer
Rating:5
“The reason that I support St. Joseph Indian School is that the Native American Indians were here before we were. They were pushed off their land and put on reservations. We took their land from them. When I found St. Joseph Indian School, I knew I needed to donate to them.”
Judy Cranford
Rating:5
“I am honoured to be a long-time supporter of St. Joseph’s Indian School. At St. Joseph’s, children and their families are given hope for an excellent education and an even better future. I am just sorry that I live so far away. I hope to visit St. Joseph’s someday to meet some wonderful children.”
Maria C
I have been sending ‘care packages’ to St Joseph’s for some time. They are so appreciative.
I feel it is vital to support them. Sadly, Native Americans are neglected by the US government. They deserve our help.
FAQs
The campus includes 20 homes that house over 200 Native American children. They educate boys and girls in grades one through eight in their elementary school on campus. Their older students attend grades 9-12 at Chamberlain High School.
St. Joseph’s campus is approximately 55 acres. Their campus includes 21 homes that house over 200 Native American children. Other structures include their Business Office, the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, and the Health & Family.
We are in central South Dakota, where Interstate 90 crosses the Missouri River. Their community, the Chamberlain, has a population of approximately 2,500 people.
Conclusion
St. Joseph Indian School remains one of the reputable institutions that play a vital role in the formative years of kids, and today, they’re still doing that. You can be part of this journey when you support their cause with a generous gift today.
References
- Wikipedia – American Indian boarding schools
- STJO – Home
- Great Non-Profits – St. Joseph Reviews
