Youth Opportunity Project
Youth Voice Matters
2023/2024 Youth Opportunity Project
The Youth Opportunity Project aims to provide students the opportunity to gain leadership skills, network with peers and key-decision makers while helping to create meaningful change and impact in out-of-school time programming throughout the state.
Participants are South Dakota teens ages 13 and older who attend out-of-school time programs in their communities. They have first-hand experience regarding the impact these programs have made in their own lives, the lives of their families and community. Through monthly virtual meetings participants will provide a youth voice to a variety of issues faced. Students will work on building leadership skills and explore advocacy through interactions during Day at the Capitol mid-January in Pierre where students will have the opportunity to learn about our state’s legislative system and the many moving parts that create change and impact.
Teens in the 2023/2024 participants:
Peer Leaders:
- Madelyn Hinkelman, Summit
- Lily Pressler, Watertown
Additional Members:
- Diego Kootswatewa, Rapid City
- Homer Gray, Rapid City
- Jaxon Jung, Rapid City
- Jaymel Henderson, Rapid City
- Mathew Paschke, Rapid City
- Nixon Hix, Rapid City
- Raylynn Lucei-Spino, Sioux Falls