Celebrating Indigenous Youth Every Day
The Center for Native American Youth believes all Native American youth should lead full and healthy lives, have equal access to opportunity, and draw strength from their culture and one another. As a policy program of the Aspen Institute founded by former US Senator Byron Dorgan (ret.), we work to improve the health, safety, and overall well-being of Native American youth. We do this through youth recognition, inspiration and leadership; research, advocacy, and policy change; serving as a national resource exchange; and by building a Native-youth driven narrative.
Youth-led movements strengthen resources for Native youth, building new platforms where they can share their voices, recognize one another and inspire positive change.
Native youth are finding innovative ways to capitalize on the protective strengths of their rich cultures to address the needs of their peers, families, and entire communities, and turn the tide on intergenerational trauma and poor health.
The Center for Native American Youth fulfills its mission through four priority strategies: youth inspiration, advocacy, policy change, and serving as a resource platform.