Teen Center

The Teen Center provides a space that allows youth to strive for a life of healing, health, and wellness. It offers a safe place, supportive relationships, and cultural connections.

Wambli Ska’s Teen Center is a safe, supportive space where Native youth reconnect with their purpose and build self-determination. Through culturally grounded programs, youth explore their identity, strengthen life skills, and begin to shape their own futures.

Our Youth Navigators meet each young person where they are—offering guidance, assessing needs, and connecting them to services. They also lead life skills workshops, suicide prevention programs, and Talking Circles that foster healing, confidence, and belonging.

We support an average of 171 youth each year

 

Center Amenities:

  • Daily Meals: M-F

  • Food pantry

  • Shower facilities

  • Laundry services

  • Computer lab

  • Social space

  • Gaming area

  • Recording studio

  • Arts/crafts room

Drop-in hours: Monday - Friday Noon - 7 pm

 
 
 

Food Pantry

Our food pantry offers nutritious food boxes to local families—without barriers like restricted hours or required documentation—ensuring everyone has access to what they need, when they need it.

Available Monday - Friday

Noon - 4 PM

 
 

Basketball

In 2022, our youth basketball team participated in several tournaments. Now once again we have assembled a traveling team to play again in 2025, if you want to sponsor our youth click the button.

 
 
 
 

Youth Action Board

Many newly homeless youth are unaware of the services and support available to them. The Youth Action Board bridges that gap through targeted outreach—distributing resource materials in schools, clinics, and common gathering spaces across Rapid City. Beyond raising awareness, youth take an active role in shaping solutions, joining community partners to identify gaps and guide the development of new, youth-driven services.

 

Resource Navigators

Resource Navigators at Wambli Ska walk alongside youth and families to connect them with vital services—housing, education, employment, healthcare, and cultural supports. Grounded in trust and cultural understanding, they help remove barriers and guide relatives toward stability, healing, and self-determination. Navigators support the following:

  • Pursuing employment opportunities

  • Receiving prenatal care or parenting courses

  • Support with family reunification

  • Substance rehabilitation options and recovery support

  • Access to emergency shelter or stable housing

  • Obtaining personal identification documents

  • Enrolling in school or GED training programs

  • Using health care services and benefits

“The teen center is helpful to our community because it’s a safe place almost like a second home. Teens come and learn life and Lakota things and you have lots of fun.”

-Wambli Ska teen