Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Fargo, ND, was the recipient of a $3,200 grant from the First Lutheran Church Foundation in Fargo, ND. The funds received will be used as part of an innovative remodel of Dakota Memorial School—Fargo, the on-campus school of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. The remodel will allow for an increase in enrollment to meet the growing needs of the community, as well as better serve the students we currently have. Specifically, funds from the Foundation will be used to underwrite the costs of Interactive Technology for our new classrooms.…
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Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch received a total of $11,000 from the North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) COVID-19 Community and Nonprofit Response grant and the Minot Community Endowment Fund (MCEF). The funds received will be used to stabilize the IT network on our Minot campus to support the increased load of distance education and telehealth created by the COVID-19 pandemic.…
Great River Energy awarded $1,000 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to underwrite the costs of updating the salad bar on our Bismarck Campus. Funds received will be used as part of an overall transformation of the Nutrition Center on our Bismarck campus. The purchased equipment will allow us to offer additional healthy items during meals.…
Even as states loosen restrictions, some people continue to play it safe by avoiding non-essential interactions and staying home. Isolation is taking a toll. Cope with loneliness by trying out some of these ideas shared by Dr. Wayne Martinsen, Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, and in an article at psychologytoday.com.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Thrift Stores are open with adjusted hours and procedures. Please keep in mind the following changes in procedures.…
To learn, children must be connected to, or engaged with, what's going on in the classroom. It's a challenge for every teacher to make their classroom a place kids want to be. It is even more challenging in classrooms at the Ranch, where students have had year after year of negative school experiences.…
As I interviewed Ranch therapists for this article, I was struck by a few common themes. The first was the importance of the relationship between the child and the therapist. Every therapist said the relationship comes first. Without that, nothing the therapist says or does will work. While each therapist has his or her own way of connecting to children, they all stressed that building a trusting relationship is their number one goal.…
We understand our world and each other in so many ways. At Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, that means finding the set of constructs that resonate for each particular child. Each of these precious children is unique, with their own experiences, traumas, and defense mechanisms. In short, they are like all the rest of us as far as how we take in information. There is no "one size fits all" way to communicate.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch will receive $50,000 in matching funds from the Cornelsen Charitable Foundation to complete an innovative remodel of Dakota Memorial School—Fargo, the on-campus school of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Dakota Memorial School is a fully accredited school designed to provide best-in-class trauma-sensitive education for at-risk children. The population includes the children in our psychiatric residential treatment facilities, as well as Day Students from public schools in the surrounding area.…
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Sometimes it can be hard to know how to make connections with others. But it's the connections we make with other people that help enrich our lives and get us through tough times. #Tools2Thrive…
DETOXING YOUR LIFE is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Certain people and situations in life can trigger us to feel badly about ourselves or engage in unhealthy and destructive behaviors. By identifying the toxic influences in our lives and taking steps to create boundaries, we can improve our mental and physical health. #Tools2Thrive…
SUPPORTING OTHERS is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Having a strong support system can improve our overall mental health. Being a part of that strong support system for others could make all the difference. #Tools2Thrive…
FINDING THE POSITIVE is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Changing the way we view negative situations, reframing common negative thoughts, and practicing gratitude have been shown to reduce sadness and anxiety. #Tools2Thrive…
CREATING HEALTHY ROUTINES is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Creating routines helps us organize our days and ensure that we are taking care of tasks and ourselves. Routines help us establish patterns in our days that make it easier to get things done without having to think hard about them. #Tools2Thrive…
OWN YOUR FEELINGS is today's #MentalHealthMonth tool. Take time to slow down and identify what you’re experiencing and the feelings behind it. This simple act can help you feel better and improve your communication and relationships with others. #Tools2Thrive…
While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. The good news is there are practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency - and there are ways that everyone can be supportive of friends, family, and co-workers who are struggling with life's challenges or their mental health.…
Before they get to the Ranch, our kids have experienced so much trauma and pain. In many cases, they've been told they're out of options. Now, they have succeeded, and they have a place to go! They are joyful because they did the work, completed their treatment, and now have hope for a better future.…
Do you remember when your mom or Grandma would try out a new recipe and it was really wonderful? I remember how it felt. I didn't have all the words then, but I felt cared for and special and loved. I saw how hard my mom tried to make every part of my life as good as she could.…
Dakota Medical Foundation awarded $10,000 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to be used to offset expenses and/or losses created by the Coronavirus pandemic.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Minot, ND, was the recipient of a $3,000 grant from Faith Community Lutheran Church in Longmont, CO. The funds received will be used as part of an overall transformation and update of the Kruse Memorial Chapel on our Minot, ND campus. Specifically, funds will be used to purchase new audio equipment for the chapel.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Bismarck, ND, was the recipient of a $2,020 grant from the Department of Public Instruction. Funds received will be used as part of an overall transformation of the Nutrition Center on our Bismarck campus. Specifically, funds will be used to purchase another freezer, to meet the needs of the growing population, as well as provide additional healthy food choices for students.…
Every person we meet has lived a life only they can truly understand. Like the children at the Ranch, some of us can tell our stories, and some cannot. Each of us carries our experiences in our own way. And, when they are too heavy, God carries them for us.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch received $3,000 from Whole Kids Foundation and $500 from KidsGardening to support the Gardening Program on its campus in Bismarck, ND. Funds will be used to purchase materials to convert our three garden plots to large-scale sub-irrigated planter boxes.…
Like so many of our Ranch kids, there was a time when Emily certainly didn’t believe in herself. She did not realize her potential or the plan God had for her life. Yet today, Emily stands strong and resilient; capable and confident, a beautiful, genuine young woman…who surely has promise! Thank you for helping to make stories like Emily’s possible. You cheer our kids on with your prayers and support, believing in their POTENTIAL, helping precious children realize that they indeed have PROMISE, that their lives certainly have POSSIBILITIES and that the God who loves them, surely has a PLAN for their lives.…
We are all in uncharted territory. Kids are home from school, parents are working from home, and most of our usual activities are off-limits. While the specific stressors are unique to each individual, isolating at home creates strain and anxiety for everyone. The behavioral health providers at Dakota Family Services offer ten tips for maintaining the mental health of you and your family during this unusual time.…