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Porcupine
2008 After Action Report
Participants
Ten adults and teens from the Baltimore metropolitan area participated in the Hau Kola Camp at the Porcupine School in Porcupine, South Dakota. Baltimore volunteers worked in partnership with the school faculty to staff the first week of summer school in August, 2008.
Hau Kola Model
Hau Kola staff members worked in partnership with classroom teachers in grades K-8. The August summer school program creates an early opportunity for students in need of remediation to begin school two weeks ahead of the rest of the student population.
Resources From Baltimore to Porcupine Camp
All students and teachers were invited to read and take home books of their choice each day from the 1,200 books that were collected and shipped to the school from the Hau Kola Learning Camps Steering Committee. This effort, organized in Baltimore provides books for all participants at each Hau Kola Camp location. In preparation for the 2008 Hau Kola Camps, 5000 books were shipped from Baltimore to the four Hau Kola Camp locations. Books that were not chosen by Porcupine students were shared with students from the Rocky Ford School through Tater Stiff Arm, who is a member of the Porcupine Presbyterian Church and a fifth grade teacher at the school.
Hau Kola participant fees and grant funding provided funds for first aid kits for each classroom as well as art and science materials for K-8 classrooms.
Resources from Porcupine School to Hau Kola
As their contribution to the Hau Kola partnership, the Porcupine School provided the following resources:
transportation of students to and from the school
accommodations for Baltimore participants
breakfast and lunch for Hau Kola staff, faculty, and students
teacher partners
Accommodations
Porcupine is a small community located in a scenic and historic, but remote area of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Stores of any size and grocery shopping are 80 miles away in either direction. Rapid City, SD is 80 miles away to the northwest and Chadron, NE is 80 miles to the southwest. The small towns of Gordon, NE and Pine Ridge are about 30-35 miles away.
Hau Kola participants flew into Rapid City, SD and drove to Porcupine in rented vans. Staff members lived at the school and ate breakfast and lunch with students and faculty. Teachers acted as guest speakers and shared personal and professional information that helped us understand our experience.
Evening meals were eaten in the community with food provided by community members, Bill Kuenon and Velma Kills Back. Participants worshipped at the Porcupine Presbyterian Church and spent extended time with congregation members Velma Kills Back and Tater Stiff Arm who spoke with us about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the challenges children face growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation. We also attended the Pine Ridge Powwow where they were members of the organizing committee.
Plans for 2009
We have been invited to return to Porcupine by the administration and faculty of the school and the Porcupine Presbyterian Church during the summer of 2009. The trip is scheduled for June 13-20, 2009. Participants will be recruited from college students and adults with an interest in education and/or teaching experience.
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