Lakota (Sioux) students play outside as the weather allows.

Once classes are done for the summer, many of St. Joseph’s Lakota (Sioux) youth and children in need go home to be with their families.

Elementary Program
This year, however, about 24 children will stay on campus and enjoy a summer of fun activities!

St. Joseph’s Summer Program offers lots of summer fun to Lakota children who need a safe, structured environment for longer than the normal school year.

After classes in the morning to keep reading and math skills sharp, students do all the things kids should be doing in the summer – swimming, riding bikes and playing games.

Swimming and other fun pool activities are a favorite pastime for all our summer students!

Junior High Program
Our recent eighth-grade graduates dedicate the first three weeks of June to preparing for the switch to high school.

Each morning, incoming freshmen visit Chamberlain High School and spend the morning doing light class work with some of the teachers they will have this fall.

This introductory period helps the students build a relationship with their new teachers, paving the way for a smoother, easier transition when the school year begins in August.

High School Program
High school students are some of the busiest kids on campus, and that doesn’t change in the summer!

• Students are taking driver’s education as the first step toward getting their driver’s license.
• Several students are working summer jobs with St. Joseph’s day camp, the school’s maintenance crew, as Junior Houseparents and at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.
• Many more students are participating in programs like Gear Up!, INMED, Upward Bound and College Horizons.

Learn more about St. Joseph's Rising Eagle Day Camp