The Ichigo Foundation has gifted the American Indian College Fund a $100,000 award to support the Wounspe E’cetkiya O’takuye Piya A’yazunta Pi (Reconnecting Relatives to Education) Program over the next two years. The program, one of several pre-college adult education pathways at the College Fund, provides resources for American Indians who have had encounters with the justice system, helping them to complete their high school equivalency (HSE) as a first step towards a better future. This gift from the Ichigo Foundation will support the growth of the program.

This work is done in partnership with Sinte Gleska University (SGU), which provides HSE services to individuals incarcerated at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility as part of its broader adult education programming. SGU recently expanded its work at the facility to include regular weekly HSE tutoring and instruction.

The funding will be used to cover such costs as salary and mileage for traveling tutors, educational supplies, staff training, reentry preparation, college and career readiness, and more. SGU celebrated its first four graduates from this program in 2025, and with this new gift the College Fund hopes to strengthen this partnership and explore other program and learning opportunities in this area.