Across North America, Native
American, Canadian First Nations and Alaskan Native youth face challenges such
as poverty, low educational achievement, inadequate job skills, poor health and
high risk behaviors, including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, incarceration
and suicide. Research documents that
Native American youth fare worse than youth of other racial and ethnic
backgrounds. While many of these youth seek to become productive and
responsible members of their communities, the path forward is not clear and there
are few resources available to help.
The National Indian Youth Leadership
Project (NIYLP) understands this crisis. For the past 25 years, NIYLP has been using a
positive youth development approach in working with Native youth to break the
cycle of poverty and to enhance education, employment and life skills. Through
the nationally acclaimed Project Venture program, NIYLP supports youth to learn and celebrate spiritual and traditional activities, to
access education and job training and
to engage in community service projects that introduce positive role models and
build confidence, resilience and self-esteem.
NIYLP has an impressive record
of accomplishments and an ambitious goal of reaching many more youth. Won’t
you help us achieve this dream?
The social, emotional and
economic consequences of disconnected youth, with little hope and with few
skills, are staggering. However, with a modest investment, we can
make a difference.
NIYLP
has helped thousands of youth change the course of their lives and embark on
the path to becoming responsible and productive members of society. Please
join us by making a tax deductible gift
today to support our work. For example, by making a contribution of:
·
$1,500, you are supporting
26-weeks of weekly after-school experiential learning sessions to teach youth
the traditions and culture of their heritage so that they may develop a greater
sense of identity and self-esteem and the importance of service to their
community
·
$550 supports an
intensive seven-day summer camp for one youth in a community setting of youth
from all over North America and Hawaii, where they learn to apply their culturally
based leadership skills and build the confidence, motivation and resilience to
tackle individual and community challenges. This year’s camp is scheduled for July 2014.
We have witnessed what our
young people can achieve when they have a helping hand combined with the chance
to use their Native culture as a foundation for building their future and contributing
to their communities. We hope you will
join us in making this happen for many more youth by making a gift today. We are deeply appreciative of your support.
Visit the 'Support NIYLP' tab on our website to donate today.
With gratitude and warms
regards,
National Indian Youth Leadership Project
