Fully accredited through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwa. Offering 17 Associate Degrees and 6 certificate programs, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College offers an affordable quality education while advancing the language and culture of the Ojibwa people.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School is a Pre-K through 12th grade grant Tribal school started in 1975.

The mission of the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School is to create proficient speakers of the Ojibwe language who are able to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world. The school will be a community center for language revitalization, local environmental understanding and intergenerational relationships. We expect that students will be grounded in local language, culture and traditions, while gaining an awareness of global concerns. Our aim is to foster a love of learning while teaching the skills that will enable students to create solutions for our community and our planet.

The mission of the Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee is to assist and advise the Hayward Community School District, Board of Education, and administration on all matters pertaining to the succussful educational experience of Indian children.

The Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee will be meeting monthly for the year, every second Tuesday of the month. The meetings are held in the LCO Tribal Office from 5:00—6:30 p.m. Parents/guardians with school-aged children are invited and encouraged to attend.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College Community Library serves both as a college and a community library. It is a member of the Northern Waters Library Service and its Merlin Consortium which is a shared system catalog. The LCO Library card can be used at all member libraries. The library is open Monday-Friday from 8-4:30 along with evening hours when the college is in session.

The human resources department handles employment and staffing for Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government. The department can be reached at (715) 634-8934 and by fax at (715) 634-4797 Attn: Doreen Wolfe, Human Resource Director.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Vocational Rehabilitation Program is available to provide vocational rehabilitation services to Native Americans with disabilities who reside on the LCO reservation and in Sawyer County. Vocational Rehabilitation services are provided consistent with individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities and informed choice to assist individuals prepare for and engage in gainful employment.

Consolidated Tribal Government Program — Education/Adult Vocational Training/Native Employment Works (NEW) Program, Direct Employment

The Workforce Investment Act Program Goals are to improve the social welfare, to promote and encourage gainful employment, education, economic development and to become self sufficient, to recognize the cultural and traditional values of Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe.

LCO Real Estate Services assists tribal members with any land trust issues. Leases, land purchases for the tribe, NEPA compliance, site delineations, easements, lease/rent invoicing and accounting, trespass issues, rights of way, Indian Health Service tribal contact for well/septic, maintain real estate property taxes, record keeping all land-related files.

Bureau of Indian Affairs-BIA Federally funded program which assists Tribal Members in applying for Class B (Home Repair) and/or Class C (Home Purchase). Applicants need to meet certain factors (scoring criteria) to be determined eligible for services. Factors include Income, Age, Dependents and Disability. Applications are taken year round, reviewed, and submitted at the end of each Calendar year to the BIA Regional office for funding consideration.

Employee Benefits: Employer Sponsored Group Health and Life Insurance; 401k Retirement Plan; Workers Compensation Plan; Property & Casualty/General Liability/Auto Insurance Plan

The Grants/Planning Department assists in all areas of comprehensive planning and development for the Tribe. Planning works cooperatively with other tribal departments to write grant proposals for funding that address and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the people. The goal of the department is to plan and write grants to enhance a positive growth pattern of the community development activities, community building, land use, and conservation while continuing to reflect upon the environmental, economic, aesthetic, and social values of the culture and traditions of LCO.

Services that this department can help you with are: applications, family tree information, Tribal identification and Membership Certificates.

The accounting department assists with day-to-day operations of the tribe, handling accounts payable and accounts receivable.

The Contracts Department houses all Contracts and Grants Award documentation and is responsible for the financial status of each contract and grant. We also oversee and work directly with each individual Program Director to ensure their specific contract/grant is programmatically and financially compliant.

The Legal Department serves the Tribal Governing Board and many of the Tribe's departments, programs and businesses. The mission of the Legal Department is to defend and promote the Tribe's inherent sovereign interests. The practices of the Legal Department encompass a wide variety of areas including gaming, contracts, employment, taxation, historic preservation, child welfare, environmental law and real estate. The tribal attorney is also the tribal prosecutor in Tribal Court. The Legal Department does not represent individual tribal members.

The goals of the Communication Enhancement Project for the Lac Courte Oreilles tribal community is to strengthen the ability of the Tribe to meet the needs of the children and families by utilizing technology to improve Tribal Government communications. The improved communications will lead to an increased responsiveness to tribal members, strengthened professional practices, and improved intra-departmental consultation and coordination.

LCO Public Works is the water/sewer system on the LCO reservation. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays.

Administers the Roads Planning Department, Roads Maintenance Program, and has oversight for Roads Construction, Transit and Elder Transportation

The four purposes of LCO Tribal TANF Program are:
• To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives.
• To end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.
• To prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies.
• To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
Please feel free to stop by the LCO Tribal TANF office to pick up an application, or call to have an application mailed to you.
Required documents for the application: Birth certificate (everyone in TANF unit) • Social Security Cards (everyone in TANF unit) • Tribal I.D. • Gross Income Verification • Gross Unearned Income Verification

Attention FORWARD HEALTH Recipients!
Are you or someone you know having difficulty with activities of daily living skills? Bathing, Dressing, Grooming, Toileting, Mobility, Transfers/Positioning and other living supports such as meal planning, shopping, laundry, assist with medical appointments, safety needs. Through our services we would be able to see if you're eligible for a Personal Care Worker (PCW).

The Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center envisions a Health Community: We envision a dynamic, flexible innovative health care system driven by the needs of the community in partnership with one another. We envision an environment conducive to healthy lifestyles and positive individual behavior.

General Assistance is a BIA funded program to help provide assistance to single - non custodial individuals that reside within the boundaries of the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation. Tribal members who lack adequate resources to meet their basic need's in life. Helps to achieve self-sufficiency and become less dependant on welfare. GA also provides clients with other resources that may benefit their needs, for e.g job training, college, vocational/rehab. Clients are classified as either employable or non-employable and each client has their own goal plans. GA also inducted a work participation action and assistance with disability benefits.

Anyone living within the LCO Reservation boundaries and “Indian Households” living outside the reservation but in the rural areas of Sawyer, Rusk, Bayfield and Washburn counties, or in Hayward, are eligible to receive our food package if eligibility criteria is met. Please contact the program for more information.

AODA & Pregnancy Prevention in LCO Schools and Youth Activities.

Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program(WHEAP) is state funded. This program is designed to provide some assistance to households with the heating and electric bills. The two basic parts of the Energy Assistance are the regular benefits and crisis assistance. In addition, an Emergency Furnace service program is operated under WHEAP. Emergency Furnace is basically for homeowners, but some rentals can be an exception. The eligility criteria for assistance is: must meet State Median income guidelines depending on household size, have an energy burden, must live within the reservation boundaries, must have a permanent address, verified by the utility bills.

Men's Residential treatment facility that rents 20 beds to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for men who have been recently released from prison or as an alternative to incarceration that have a need for treatment.

Oakwood Haven is an outreach and shelter program with a primary obligation to victims of domestic and sexual assault. The goals of this project are to:
• Respond to the emotional and physical needs of sensitive crime victims
• Assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization
• Assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system
• Provide victims of crime with a measure of safety
Types of violent crimes that we provide support services to victims are: Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault, dating violence, Elder Abuse, Child Victimization, Stalking, Strangulation, Bullying and other sensitive crimes against victims. The Shelter has 24-hour crisis line and is staffed 24 hours a day and 7 days per week constantly. Shelter is available for victims and their children. Oakwood Haven's secondary responsibility to Homeless victims is to meet the immediate basic needs; shelter, food, and safety. Referral to other programs or other resources; housing, food shelf, homeless shelters, etc within seven days of entry. Exception to referral to homeless programs is if there are children. Eligibility: All victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services who need a safe place to stay, who need support services for legal/court appearances, who needs personal advocacy to talk and to be there for assisting in many ways to help lessen barriers for safety and growth.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Court Community Service Program is available through the Tribal Court for youth offenders with civil charges. The purpose of the Community Service Program is to allow minors of offenses to reduce fines by serving community hours for violations under but not limited to: truancy, curfew, traffic and underage drinking. Outstanding fines for past offenses are also considered through a deferred prosecution agreement submitted to the Tribal Court.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Fire Department currently has 3 fire stations that are located thoughout the reservation. The Department is composed of one full time employee and 39 volunteers. The department has a protection area of 150 square miles and responds to an average of 480 calls a year. The department is also a First Responder Provider Service that is De fib certfied and licensed by the State of Wisconsin.

The first day of patrol was February 13, 2004. The department started with one Chief of Police, one Assistant Chief, and 2 patrol officers. Presently the department employs one Chief of Police, one Assistant Chief, one Investigator, one School Resource Officer, three patrol officers and one Animal Control Officer. The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department's ongoing mission is to continue making the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation a safe and enjoyable place for its visitors and residents.

The LCOOEW Safety Center will be a safe peaceful community center that offers crime diversion activities and fosters positive interaction and growth in the heart of the LCO Community. All of the community is invited to be a part of the center and to participate.

The Respite/Child Care Services receives and administers state and federal grants to help pay for child care while LCO enrolled parents attend school, work or case managed respite child care services. We also state certify interested eligible individuals to provide quality child care.

The THPO works closely with Federal and Non-Federal agencies. Ground disturbances are focus areas. We try to preseve our Historical and Cultural resources.

The Respite/Child Care Services receives and administers state and federal grants to help pay for child care while LCO enrolled parents attend school, work or case managed respite child care services. We also state certify interested eligible individuals to provide quality child care.

Assist Elderly and/or Disabled Tribal members in various services provided through Social Security and State health programs. Please visit www.dhs.wisconsin.gov and www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging for more information.

Lac Courte Oreilles Early Head Start program offers services to children ages birth to three and their families through a grant provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start.

Providing information and assistance to tribal elders and people with disabilities 18 years and over, also access to Elderly and Disability Benefits counseling. Also, Title VI Program provides congregate and home-delivered meals to Elders 50 and over. Visit www.adrc-n-wi.org and www.gwaar.org for more information.

Mino Maajisewin is a voluntary home visitation program that is designed to assist parents in the care and development of their baby and young children. This program is available to LCO Community members and their families who are pregnant and/or who are parents of young children up to age five years old. The Mino Maajisewin Program is particularly designed for families of young children who have multiple needs. Once a family is enrolled in the LCO Mino Maajisewin program, our home visitors provide weekly home visits to support parenting skills as well as promote the attachment between the child and primary caregiver. Our program uses the “Growing Great Kids” Curriculum which provides information about: Basic Care; Social and Emotional Development, Cues and Communication, Physical and Brain Development, Play and Stimulation, and Self Care for the caregiver.