Cross-cultural exchange
TRIO Upward Bound students and staff playing and meeting local kids at the Cheyenne River Youth Center in the Cheyenne River Reservation
We value cross-cultural exchange, as it helps you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you. In summer of 2022 we had the privilege to take a group of first-generation high school students to South Dakota. Thanks to the ongoing support of Dutch Bros. Coffee, these students from the TRIO Upward Bound Program at Colorado State University were able to visit an Indigenous community for the first time. Through meeting with local organizations at Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations, students saw first hand the challenging realities of Indigenous communities and how they are working non-stop to restore their environment, culture, and identity. “All of this reminds me of my own culture as a Latinx immigrant. Coming from immigrant backgrounds, my family has always had to work hard to obtain what we have today. This is the same for the Native American people. Native Americans have had to overcome a lot of hardships throughout history.” -Jorge Hernandez-Ibarra, High School Student, 16