Friends of the Children - He Sapa

08/20/2026

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is with great pride that we announce the appointment of Tyresha Grey Horse as Executive Director of Friends of the Children–He Sapa

Since joining our organization as Program Director in March 2025, Tyresha has demonstrated a strong record of leadership, growth, and advancement. She has led with wisdom, humility, and a deep commitment to our youth and families while strengthening our programming, supporting our professional mentors, and helping guide our organization through an important period of growth and transition.

Since our founding in 2022, Friends of the Children–He Sapa has made a promise to walk alongside our children and families through long-term professional mentoring relationships—12+ years, no matter what. As Tyresha steps into this role, that promise remains unwavering.

This next chapter is possible because of the families who have trusted us, the donors and partners who have invested in this work, our dedicated staff and professional mentors, and a community that continues to believe in our children.

Pilamayaye—thank you for believing in this work and for continuing to walk alongside us.

Our first four years have built a strong foundation, but our story is only beginning!

The Board looks forward to partnering with Tyresha, our staff, our families, and our community as Friends of the Children–He Sapa moves into this next chapter.

Please join me in congratulating Tyresha Grey Horse, Executive Director of Friends of the Children–He Sapa!!

With gratitude and hope,
Jade Herman, Ed.D.
Board Chair
Friends of the Children–He Sapa

08/14/2026

📚 Literacy Starts at Home — and Grows Through Family! 📚

Friends of the Children–He Sapa was proud to host our first Literacy Family Night made possible in part through the generous support of a Rotary Global Grant. The evening was facilitated by our Board Member Dr. Whitnee Coy and Literacy Specialist Stacy Cole, alongside our Professional Mentors.

Families shared dinner together before caregivers participated in a presentation focused on practical, meaningful ways to integrate literacy into everyday life at home. Building strong readers isn't something that happens only in the classroom, it happens through conversations, stories, traditions, curiosity, and time spent together as a family. ❤️

Each of our youth went home with their very own Literacy Kit, filled with family literacy activities and resources to keep the learning going at home. One special addition was a signed copy of I Tell You That I Love You by Indigenous author Tanaya Winder, a member of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe. This beautiful children's picture book celebrates the loving bond between parent and child while connecting that love to the beauty of the natural world.

At Friends of the Children–He Sapa, our commitment to education extends beyond the individual child. We believe in supporting the whole family, giving caregivers tools to encourage learning and creating opportunities for our Wakanyeja to see themselves as capable, confident learners.

As the new school year approaches, we are excited to walk alongside our youth and families, celebrating their growth, supporting their education, and reminding them that they have an entire community believing in what they can become. 📖✨

Here’s to a new school year filled with learning, connection, and possibility!

08/11/2026

Welcome to Our Tiospaye, Terri!

Friends of the Children – He Sapa is proud to welcome Terri Sorensen, President & CEO of Friends of the Children National, as the newest member of our Board of Directors!

Terri brings more than 23 years of experience with Friends of the Children and a deep commitment to the power of long-term, professional mentorship. Since becoming National CEO in 2012, she has helped grow Friends of the Children from just five locations to 48 across the country, expanding the reach of our mission and creating opportunities for thousands more children and families.

Her addition to our Board also strengthens the connection between our work here in He Sapa and the national Friends of the Children network. Terri brings an incredible depth of experience in organizational growth, sustainability, fundraising, evaluation, but most importantly, a long-standing belief in walking alongside children for the long haul.

As our He Sapa chapter continues to grow and strengthen our work with Wakanyeja, caregivers, and communities, we are grateful to have Terri’s experience and perspective at our Board table.

Please join us in welcoming Terri Sorensen to the Friends of the Children – He Sapa tiospaye! 🧡

We are excited for what we will continue to build together.

08/04/2026

Our Summer 2026 Newsletter Has Arrived!

This summer has been one of growth, learning, and community at Friends of the Children–He Sapa, and we're excited to share it with you.

Inside this edition you'll find:
The impact of our first-ever Summer Literacy Program, where 57% of participating youth improved their reading fluency and nearly one in five advanced an entire grade level.

Reflections on why we believe literacy is an act of decolonization, strengthening identity, reclaiming knowledge, and creating opportunities for future generations.

A celebration of the dedicated community leaders who serve on our Board of Directors, helping guide our mission and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Every story in this newsletter reflects what is possible when a community comes together to stand beside children for the long term.

Take a few minutes to read the Summer 2026 Newsletter and see the incredible work your support makes possible.!

💙 Thank you for believing in our youth, our families, and the future we're building together.

08/01/2026

We are honored to welcome Dr. Whitnee Coy to the Friends of the Children–He Sapa Board of Directors!

Dr. Coy brings a lifetime of dedication to education, equity, and community leadership. As the Graduate Studies Department Chair at Oglala Lakota College, she prepares future educational leaders while championing culturally responsive and Indigenous-centered approaches to education.

Her commitment to serving children and families extends far beyond the classroom. Through her family's mutual aid Little Free Pantry, Dr. Coy has helped provide more than 20,000 essential items to community members in need, demonstrating the values of dignity, generosity, and reciprocity in action.

An accomplished educator, award-winning author, and experienced board leader, Dr. Coy has devoted her career to expanding opportunities for historically underserved communities. Her passion for literacy, educational equity, and strengthening families aligns deeply with our mission to break the cycle of generational poverty through long-term, professional mentoring.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Dr. Whitnee Coy! We are grateful for the wisdom, leadership, and heart she brings to our tiospaye, and we look forward to the impact we will make together on behalf of the children and families we serve.

07/28/2026

Listen to these voices 📚🎭

Our youth are putting the literacy skills they’ve worked so hard to build this summer into action through a readers theatre performance, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Thanks in part to the generosity of a Rotary Global Grant, our culturally specific Summer Literacy program has given our youth the opportunity to grow as readers while staying grounded in their culture, identity, and community. Today, they stepped up alongside their professional mentors with courage, read with confidence, and showed the Lakota values of bravery and perseverance in every word they shared.

Watching our youth encourage one another, take risks, and celebrate their accomplishments is exactly why this work matters. Our Professional Mentors stood beside them every step of the way. When a youth stumbled on a word, their mentor was there with patience, encouragement and a reassuring smile. These moments remind us that growth happens through trusted relationships, every challenge becoming an opportunity to learn and every success is celebrated.

Keep cheering them on. They’re just getting started!

07/24/2026

We are honored to welcome Michael Carlow Jr. to the Friends of the Children-He Sapa Tióšpaye as our newest Board Member.

Michael, a proud member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, has dedicated nearly 30 years to the field of education and currently serves as the Superintendent of Pine Ridge School. His lifelong commitment to the success of Lakota youth extends beyond the classroom as the founder of Tusweca Tióšpaye, a nonprofit devoted to the revitalization and strengthening of the Lakota language and culture.

Michael's leadership, vision, and deep commitment to our communities will help guide Friends of the Children-He Sapa as we continue walking alongside Indigenous youth for 12+ years, from kindergarten through graduation and into a thriving adulthood.

Pilamaya, Michael, for choosing to stand with our Wakanyeja, families, and community. We are grateful to have you as part of our Tióšpaye.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we introduce two more incredible leaders who have recently joined our Board of Directors. We can't wait for you to meet them!

07/16/2026

📚✨ A New Chapter for Our Summer Literacy Program ✨📚

As construction continues on Knollwood Drive, our Summer Literacy Program is moving from our Hocoka to an exciting new home at South Dakota Mines!

While this transition was driven by necessity, it has become an incredible opportunity to bring our long-term vision to life.

At Friends of the Children–He Sapa, we don't simply measure success by helping our youth graduate from high school or earn a GED, we work every day to ensure they can imagine and pursue the futures that come after graduation. By spending time on a college campus, our youth are experiencing what could one day be their first day of college.

We want our children to see themselves as future engineers, scientists, teachers, artists, business leaders, healthcare professionals, and changemakers. For our Indigenous youth, representation and exposure matter. Every time they step onto a campus, they are reminded that these spaces belong to them, too.

Literacy is more than learning to read, it is building confidence, expanding possibilities, and opening doors to futures our youth deserve. We are grateful to South Dakota Mines for welcoming our students and helping us create an environment where curiosity, learning, and big dreams can flourish.

This is what nation-building looks like: creating opportunities today so our children can lead tomorrow.

Pilamaya to everyone who continues to support this work. Together, we are helping the next generation of Indigenous scholars, innovators, and leaders discover that their future has no limits.

07/06/2026

Lila wopila Tanka for believing in us and the work we do in our communities!

Congratulations to Friends of the Children-He Sapa, as one of this year’s Innovation Grant recipients!

The organization works to create generational change by pairing students with professional mentors for 12+ years guaranteed. Friends of the Children-He Sapa supports children and families by providing consistent, long-term relationships and grounding in Lakota values that help families through significant challenges and pave a pathway for stability, connection, and well-being.

We are excited to support this community-driven initiative that will help young learners thrive! For more information of the great work Friends of the Children-He Sapa is doing, visit https://friendshesapa.org/