Young Chickasaws learn the career ropes


This article appeared in the February 2023 edition of the Chickasaw Times

The Chickasaw Nation’s Toksali SMART (Successful Mindsets with Attitude and Readiness for Tomorrow) Program empowers our youth and helps them as they gain work experience and leadership skills.

“The Toksali SMART Program is beneficial for our youth,” Toksali SMART curriculum design manager Alexis Walker said. “It provides the opportunity (for participants) to see careers in a different way. It also builds life and wellness skills that they may not be receiving in public schools.”

Toksali, the Chickasaw word meaning “to work,” is a summer program that offers workforce training, mentoring and entrepreneurial experience to Chickasaws ages 14 to 21.

Chickasaw youth develop productive work patterns and behaviors in real-world environments. The Toksali program has collaborated with many businesses and organizations within the Chickasaw Nation. These collaborations provide opportunity for Chickasaw youth to grown. They can explore careers and develop employment skills that align with their future goals and interests, while also strengthening the community workforce.

Experiences within the program may include virtual pre-employment training, job shadowing, mentoring, leadership opportunities, on-the-job training and more. In addition to the hands-on opportunities, participants also learn many skills in a virtual training environment.

“I really like the online course because it taught me about banking systems and how financing and budgeting works,” Toksali SMART participant Caylee Parry said. “They also covered things like how much you should exercise each day. I feel like the courses are informative.”

Topics of study within the Toksali program include learning the Chickasaw Nation’s core values, being introduced to the Chickasaw language and other cultural experiences, attending wellness and nutrition seminars and learning about customer service and leadership skills.

“The Chickasaw Nation benefits from the Toksali SMART Program because it builds future leaders and employees,” Ms. Walker said. “We see many of these students come back to work for the tribe. I am a product of the Toksali SMART Program myself.”

Program participants are divided into three categories based on age. Level I (Chaffa) is for students ages 14 and 15. They experience 100% virtual pre-employment training. They have the most flexible schedule of the groups. Level II (Toklo) is for students ages 16 and 17. Level III (Tochchi’na) is for 18 through 21-year-olds to explore their career interests. They participate at on-the-job training sites and follow the dress code appropriate for their position. They also complete a virtual training curriculum that is incorporated into their work schedule.

“The advantages of the virtual program are that we are able to offer our younger students a better way to go about learning pre-employment skills,” Ms. Walker said. “This is better than putting them on a job site with no skills.”

To best serve both participants and the community, Toksali offices are located in Ada, Ardmore, Purcell and Tishomingo. To learn about program participation requirements or for more information, visit Chickasaw.net/ToksaliSMART or call (580) 310-9240.