Making Waves
Equipping our youth with the knowledge they need to achieve their goals and become contributing members of their community is a key component to our Wicoicage Sakowin kin un Wicakagapi (Building for the Seventh Generation) program.
Making Waves is a comprehensive program developed by Four Bands Community Fund and launched in 2008 on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation to replace poverty and unemployment with financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal of the Making Waves program is to plant the seeds of financial literacy and entrepreneurship so that we will have the knowledge and skills needed to make money matter and create our own jobs.
The Making Waves program promotes the ABCs of Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship® – key behaviors that people can incorporate into their lives to:
- Build and support private businesses.
- Become better stewards of money.
- Expand assets rather than debts.
Four Bands offers a variety of individual assistance, training, facilitation, and curricula to fit various teaching settings and learning environments.
Making Waves Youth Empowerment Series
The Making Waves Youth Empowerment Series is designed to equip youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to become successful adults. The learning modules contained within the Youth Empowerment Series instill foundational knowledge in the areas of:
- Personal Finance
- Secondary Education
- Workforce Development
- Saving and Goal Setting
- Business Development
- Leadership
It is a flexible curriculum that can be taught in a classroom setting by an instructor or self-led by students themselves. To learn more about each of these learning modules, please visit our Knowledge Center.
Making Waves Teacher Toolkits
Making Waves Teacher Toolkits include lessons teachers can use in their classrooms to promote financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The lessons integrate concepts of entrepreneurship and financial literacy in K-12 classrooms and focus on key behaviors that youth can incorporate into their lives. Toolkits include lesson guides for various grade levels, including: K-2, 3-6, 7-8, and 9-12.
Toolkits are available for purchase through our Knowledge Center.
Making Waves Instructor Trainings
Four Bands delivers Making Waves Instructor Trainings to schools, nonprofit organizations, and other community partners. These informative trainings are facilitated by expert trainers and provide practical experience in the delivery of financial literacy and entrepreneurship lessons in K-12 classrooms and in implementation of the Making Waves program. We work with each partner to develop a customized training that fits their educational objectives, timeframe, and budget.
If you would like more information or are interested in scheduling one of our Making Waves Instructor Trainings, please contact us.
Success Stories
Supporting Youth Entrepreneurs in South Dakota
Kaiden White Bear uses business loan to grow his farrier business. Kaiden White Bear (Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck) has been shoeing...
Starting a Trend Towards Higher Education
Jessie Carlson Grows Her College Fund This tax season Jesse Carlson, a 2013 graduate from Dupree High School, staffed the Volunteer Income Tax...
Bringing Opportunity Back to “The Rez”
Kali Hale Dreams of Using College Education to Help Cheyenne River Youth “I always knew I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t...
Gaining Confidence to Achieve Dreams
Megan Bagola Finds More Than Tuition as She Saves for a College Education Reflecting on her participation in the Four Bands Youth...