Wookiye Project
What is the Wookiye Project?
Wookiye means help, aid, and assist. The Wookiye Project includes five pilot schools and 28 Wookiye Teachers. These teachers will receive training and will be participants in required monthly virtual meetings and professional development.
The project began August 2020 for the 2020-2021 school year.
The goal of the Wookiye Project is to create and implement a network of support that helps, aids, and assists teachers as they become proficient in using the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards (OSEUS), to provide additional assistance in creating resources that uphold the OSEUS, and to seek out schools and teachers that are currently implementing OSEUS.
The South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) leads and funds a state mentoring program to support first and second year teachers. The Wookiye project is collaborating with the DOE and Technology & Innovation in Education (TIE) to provide training and support to Wookiye Teachers with Indigenous student populations.
Wookiye Resource Workbook
Wookiye Objectives
- Creating OSEUS lessons and schoolwide plans
- Modeling of culturally responsive classroom instruction
- Culturally responsive training /cultural proficiency
- Development of shared leadership/vision
- Woope Sakowin (Seven Laws) training in culturally responsive classroom management
wookiye Pilot Schools
- Crow Creek Tribal Schools
- Georgia Morse Middle School
- Mobridge-Pollock Middle School
- Timber Lake School
- Wakpala/Smee School
wookiye teachers
| Brent Charger | Crow Creek Tribal School |
| Gerald Zephier | Crow Creek Tribal School |
| Kara Condon | Crow Creek Tribal School |
| Marilyn Mendenhall | Knollwood Heights Elementary School |
| Jeannine Metzger | Enemy Swim Day School |
| Corina Repman | Georgia Morse Middle School |
| Michael Vasilie | Georgia Morse Middle School |
| Shannon Mack | Georgia Morse Middle School |
| Rebeka Stowe | Georgia Morse Middle School |
| Victoria Peterson | Georgia Morse Middle School |
| Natasha Thiry | Lyman Elementary School |
| Elizabeth Quinn | Stanley County Schools |
| Cody Stotz | Mobridge - Pollock School District |
| Brittany Knudson | Mobridge - Pollock School District |
| Brian Brown | Norris Elementary School |
| Jae White | Timber Lake School |
| Tylyn Gill | Timber Lake School |
| Amy Sandquist | Timber Lake School |
| Karyl Boldt | Timber Lake School |
| Julie Marshall | Timber Lake School |
| LeeAnn Thompson | Timber Lake School |
| Elverda Little Dog | Wakpala Public School |
| Tedi Claymore | Wakpala Public School |
| Tabor White Buffalo | Wakpala Public School |
| Steve Scares Hawk | McLaughlin Public School |
| Bree Oatman | Lower Brule Schools |
| Charles LaRoche | Lower Brule Schools |