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The OMEGA PROJECT is an intense cultural immersion and service-learning experience that brings teens and young adults together on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for an encounter of life-changing interaction and personal growth.  The OMEGA PROJECT, a program of OMEGA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, is facilitated by Jon Schoonmaker, MA, LPC and has been happening on Pine Ridge Reservation since 2002.

The hallmark of the OMEGA PROJECT is building relationships that are grounded in mutual respect and servant-leadership.   We believe that the greatest service we can offer to another is friendship.  The friendships that are forged through cultural exchange during the OMEGA PROJECT are sustained through continued contact and meaningful support long after the Project is over.  OMEGA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT assists in facilitating this continued contact.

Confident in the power of friendship, the group endeavors to build unique and meaningful relationships with children, teens, and families on the Reservation through spontaneous and planned community interaction, works of service, and immersion in the Lakota culture.