Founders & Board
Our Leadership Team
A Commitment to Excellence
Together, we believe in empowering the discouraged, providing a beacon of hope not only to the youth we serve but also to the professionals dedicated to this cause. Our holistic approach merges time-honored wisdom with contemporary research, offering transformative experiences to promote resilience, respect, and personal growth. In doing so, we not only reclaim youth at risk but also honor and revitalize the spirit of communities and cultures, echoing the ancient principles of courage and respect that have guided generations.
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Larry Brendtro
Founder and Director
Larry K. Brendtro, PhD, earned a doctorate from the University of Michigan specializing in children with emotional and behavioral challenges. He is director of Reclaiming Youth at Risk which provides research, publications, and training in strength- based approaches to youth, families, and communities. He is president emeritus at Starr Commonwealth in Michigan where he piloted the evidence-based Positive Peer Culture model which builds cultures of respect in education, treatment, and juvenile justice settings. He has wide experience as a youth worker, educator, and psychologist, and has taught at the University of Illinois, The Ohio State University, and Augustana University. The author of 18 books and over 200 articles, Dr. Brendtro joined with Lakota psychologist Martin Brokenleg and educator Steve Van Bockern to develop the Circle of Courage model which combines traditional Indigenous wisdom with emerging science of positive youth development. He trains professionals world-wide and is currently consulting with the Office of Refugee Resettlement on applying the Circle of Courage with children and youth from Latin America.
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Martin Brokenleg
Founder
Martin Brokenleg, EdD, is architect of the Circle of Courage model which applies traditional Native child-rearing principles to challenges of today’s children, families, and communities. He is an enrolled member of the Rosebud tribe of the Lakota nation in South Dakota and holds a doctorate in psychology. He is Professor Emeritus at Augustana University where he and colleagues Larry Brendtro and Steve Van Bockern co-authored Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future. He is also a graduate of the Episcopal Divinity School and has studied the impact of Western society on indigenous peoples, particularly cultural trauma. He served as director of Native Ministries and professor for the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Brokenleg is co-founder and Dean of the Black Hills Seminars. He is retired and resides in Victoria, BC.
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Steve Van Bockern
Founder
Steve Van Bockern, EdD, is Professor Emeritus of Education at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He has been a teacher and principal and developed experiential alternative education programs for gifted students and those with emotional and behavioral problems. He helped establish the annual Black Hills Seminars and formerly directed Reclaiming Youth International. Extending his earlier research on Reclaiming Youth at Risk, his new book, Schools that Matter, applies Circle of Courage principles to create powerful learning environments where all students can thrive. He and Mark Freado have been active in strength-based assessment with youth in the justice system and those being excluded from school. Dr. Van Bockern has trained educators and youth workers in many nations.
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Mark Freado
Board Member
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Robert Foltz
Board Member
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Tamara Lunday
Board Member
Tamara Lunday, Ed.D., completed her doctoral studies at the University of South Dakota with qualitative research on perspectives of Native American youth on how schools can better engage Native American Students. She worked for over 33 years in a full range of direct service and leadership roles with the Flandreau Indian School which has been serving Native American students since the nineteenth century. Tammy is an enrolled member of the Sisseton- Wahpeton Oyate, Dakota Sioux. She is a member of the Turtle Island Learning Circle and Reclaiming Youth at Risk Boards: and participated in
developing the Moccasin Paths training program. She is co-author of Native Birthrights and Indigenous Science and Ohiyesa’s Path: Reclaiming Native Education (2012).
Tammy has presented to numerous organizations including The National Indian Child Welfare Association and the Bureau of Indian Education. Tammy currently works at South Dakota State University, as the Director of the Student Health Clinic and Counseling Services.
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Celeste Uthe-Burow
Board Member
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