Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced that it awarded four $2,500 scholarships under its new Native Excellence Scholarship Program. The recipients are all Native students attending Central Wyoming College and pursuing degrees in agriculture.
Erika Warren-Yarber (Northern Arapaho) is the Director of Business Development for WRDF and is also leading the new scholarship program. “We are very excited to award these four scholarships under our new program,” Yarber said. “Our youth are the future and we are so proud of these four students who have deep roots on the Reservation and are pursuing careers in agriculture.”
WRDF received a $5,000 grant from the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) to launch the program and it matched those funds for a total of $10,000 this year. WRDF partnered with Central Wyoming College to identify the four students and award the scholarships to Kaylee Cachelin, Jerel Kohler, Kalijah Day, and Grace Neubauer.
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust serving Native farmers and ranchers created from the historic Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation settlement.
Yarber added, “Our recent Recompete award allocates $5 million for workforce development, including six certification programs and wraparound services, and $4.2 million to strengthen the food ecosystem on the Reservation. This new scholarship program complements this work by supporting students pursuing a secondary education in agriculture.”
The Wind River Development Fund will start the next round of scholarships in the Spring of 2025. An announcement will be posted on their website and through social media.
Wind River Development Fund is a non-profit, Native Community Development Financial Institution located in Fort Washakie, WY. The mission of the Wind River Development Fund is to provide financial opportunities to stimulate economic development on the Reservation, to promote self-sufficiency, self-determination, and an enhanced quality of life for the Reservation community.