June 18, 2018

The Choctaw Future Leaders Program recently selected 30 students for the 2018 summer internship. Ten students from Wright City, Battiest and Rattan spent one month of their summer bettering themselves and their community. 

Chahta Himmak Pila Pehlichi “Choctaw Future Leaders” is striving to improve outcomes for Native American Youth. The program increases student engagement in education, self-confidence and leadership skills. 

During their internship, the students participated in team building exercises, CPR trainings and toured historic Wheelock Academy, Doaksville and Chief’s House. 

Each group was asked to present a project that would improve their community. The participants spent four weeks seeking a need in their community and researching how they could best meet that need. The winning project received the traveling trophy and a $500 scholarship for each student. The second place winner received $250 scholarships for each student and third place winners received $150 scholarships for each student.

“There is not a single career that you can go into that you don’t need leadership,” said Executive Officer of Member Services Stacy Shepherd, while speaking to the students.

Rattan was awarded first place for their project “The Sandlot.” Students found that the community was struggling to share the local baseball field. Rattan students took it upon themselves to restore the old baseball field so that the community would have two separate fields.

Wright City took second place with a presentation suggesting that a Choctaw Wellness Center could greatly improve the health and well-being of their community while also bringing them together as a family. 

Battiest students placed third with their presentation. The team spoke of families having to drive several miles out of town to receive child care services and presented the idea of adding a Choctaw Child Care facility to the community.

Madison Ludlow of Battiest, Pete Young of Wright City and Yasmine Myers from Rattan were voted as Outstanding Leaders by their teammates, and received an additional $500 scholarship along with a trip to Montana for a Native American youth summit. 

 Two years into the five year ILEAD grant a total of 60 students have been given a scholarship towards their future education. Enrollment for next year’s Summer Leadership will begin in February of 2019. The grant is administered through the Administration for Native Americans.