BEAR Program
(Be Excited About Reading)
@ Pine Ridge, South Dakota
The BEAR (Be Excited About Reading) Program is a literacy and life outreach project for youth and families on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (Oglala Lakota) in South Dakota.
Our mission is to empower the youth, families, and community to make positive choices, improving the lives of thousands of Indian people.
The BEAR Program is locally-led, trusted, and delivers proven results. Working out of the “BEAR Cave” at Billy Mills Hall, we educate, we help heal, change lives, and we get things done!
We Address Urgent Issues
The BEAR Program addresses the many struggles facing Native youth such as:
literacy skills
high school drop out rate
bullying
need for peer mentoring
making good decisions
alcohol and drugs
relationships
teen and family struggles
suicide
death, dying, and grief
The BEAR Project is about bringing together the four colors of mankind, strengthening hope, with dignity and making a difference.
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Youth and Community Outreach
The Life’s Awareness program provides:
-support to schools and programs in the nine communities of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
-powerful theatrical performances
-24/7 emergency response to situations
-led by youth volunteers on the Reservation
BEAR volunteers also participate in direct outreach efforts in the community. We connect youth, parents, and families in need of resources and support services.
Contact
If you have questions…
If you would like to contribute…
If you would like to visit the BEAR Cave…
or learn when our next event is, please contact:
Yvonne DeCory, Director
(605) 454-0518
BEAR Project
Box 415
Pine Ridge, SD 57770
The Bear Project 