Outlast provides holistic, individualized creative, mental, and academic support to up to 100 Native youth annually — including a core group of 20 from Pine Ridge Reservation and up to 80 from surrounding South Dakota communities. Pine Ridge faces generational poverty and limited access to educational support, extracurricular activities, and mental health services, making consistent, long-term programming critical.

Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Tribe and approximately 32,000 people—13,000 of whom are under 20— faces significant socioeconomic challenges. Covering an area the size of Connecticut, the reservation lacks reliable public transportation, further isolating its residents. With a per capita income of just $7,773, well below the poverty line, and severely understaffed schools, youth on the reservation are underserved educationally. The dropout rate is as high as 70%, and many students perform two to three grade levels behind their White peers in reading and math.

Out-of-School-Time programs that provide leadership development, cultural enrichment, educational support, and mental health services are scarce, leaving youth with limited resources to foster their growth and well-being. This is particularly concerning given the high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Native youth, including abuse, domestic violence, substance misuse, mental illness, parental separation, incarceration, and widespread poverty.

Like many Native nations, Pine Ridge faces a disproportionately high youth suicide rate, with Indigenous youth dying by suicide more frequently than any other ethnic group in the U.S. Access to mental health resources is extremely limited, with just one individual at Indian Health Services (IHS) responsible for suicide prevention across 600 tribal nations. However, research indicates that strong tribal identity, close connections with family and friends, and staying in school are significant protective factors against suicide for Native youth.