Edison Students Visit South Dakota Native Reservation To Show Support

EDISON, NJ – Students from Edison’s Wardlaw+Hartridge Upper School spent their last week of summer visiting a Native American reservation in South Dakota, to connect with the community.

The trip came through The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission or TEEEM. The nonprofit organization offers free educational programs and curriculum to educate youth on global issues and humanitarianism.

Their trip with the Wardlaw+Hartridge students is their first since announcing the launch of its student humanitarian travel program.

Students and teacher from Wardlaw+Hartridge Upper School went on a three-day trip to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Nation.

The trip was coordinated and led by TEEEM’s Vice President Taylor DeMaio, along with Starr Cuny, the Director of Youth Programs for One Spirit and liaison to the Lakota Nation community.

For the past year, Wardlaw+Hartridge’s TEEEM students have been learning about the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Through virtual meetings, fundraising efforts, and community engagement, the students developed a deep connection with the Lakota Nation community, which is located in one of the country’s poorest counties.

During the school year, their efforts included organizing sales of handmade jewelry and crafts created by Lakota artisans, raising $1,700, and proposing the idea of an Etsy site for the community to further sell their goods.

Additionally, they organized a kitchen supply drive, collecting over 100 items for the reservation, which led to an additional $1,000 donation from TEEEM, so in total Wardlaw + Hartridge raised $2,700 for Lakota Nation and mailed them more than 100 much-needed kitchen supplies.

During their visit last week, Wardlaw+Hartridge’s TEEEM students fully immersed themselves in Lakota culture and history.

Guided by young Lakota women, students learned traditional tipi construction, gaining insight into Lakota culture and their connection to the land. They then enjoyed two nights sleeping in the tipis.

Students explored the Mahpiya Luta Heritage Center to understand the Red Cloud district and the impact of boarding schools on native lands, and engaged with local students and participated in an "Escape Poverty" simulation, offering a perspective on the reservation's challenges.

This visit marks a significant milestone in the students journey, allowing them to witness firsthand the culture of the Lakota Nation and understand the challenges faced by the Pine Ridge community.

"We are incredibly grateful for the unique cultural experiences that Starr, her family, and our new friends from the Lakota Nation shared with our students," said Taylor DeMaio, Vice President of TEEEM, who led the trip. "This trip was more than just a visit; it was an opportunity for our students to build lasting relationships and deepen their understanding of empathy and social entrepreneurship."

TEEEM will host their next Humanitarian Trip in Oct. 2024, bringing teachers from Fair Lawn High School to Lakota Nation, and plan to host a TEEEM Student Trip, with another NJ school, to Kenya in the summer of 2025.

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