Located on the Rosebud Reservation, Wakȟáŋyeža Ki Tokéyaḣči Oúŋspe — Children First Learning Center — places Lakota language, culture and identity at the center of a student’s education. Fluent Lakota speakers are paired with classrooms, elders participate in daily learning, and land-based experiences connect children to community and tradition. The school also prepares future Lakota educators through a teacher-apprenticeship pathway. A newly acquired building will provide additional classrooms, offices, a larger kitchen and cafeteria, and teacher housing, creating room for this deeply rooted model to serve more children and strengthen Lakota language for generations to come.