Native Education Resources for the Southwest Region

Youth Fellowship Resources

Many youth programs are open to American Indian students as well as other ethnic groups, and many tribes have programs for their own youth. This section provides information on a few programs with a national and even international scope.

Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections

Bruce Roberts, Professor of Psychology;
Howard Thorsheim, Professor of Psychology; or
Craig Rice, Educational Technology Specialist
St. Olaf College
1520 St. Olaf Avenue
Northfield, MN 55057
http://www.iecc.org
roberts@stolaf.edu or thorshm@stolaf.edu or cdr@stolaf.edu
(507) 646-3147 (Bruce Roberts) or (507) 646-3631 (Craig Rice) / Fax: (507) 646-2549

Through Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections (IECC), teachers and classes link with partners from other cultures within the U.S. or in other countries for e-mail classroom pen-pal and project exchanges. Created in 1992, IECC handles requests for e-mail partnerships free of charge. Teachers in approximately 75 countries participate in at least one of the IECC mailing lists. Subscriptions are free and may include any or all of the IECC lists. The web site links to similar pen-pal exchanges and to language-related web sites, including the Human-Languages Page, which brings together information about the languages of the world and numerous language resources.

National Indian Youth Leadership Project, Inc. (NIYLP)

McClellan Hall, Founder and Executive Director
National Indian Youth Leadership Project
P.O. Box 2140 814
Boardman Gallup, NM 87305
http://www.niylp.org
niylp@cia-g.com
(505) 722-9176 / Fax: (505) 722-9794

NIYLP promotes a tradition of service learning and leadership in Native youth from the U.S. and Canada. NIYLP combines traditional values with those of contemporary life. Through experiential learning in natural and camp settings, school/ community partnerships, and community service, it offers a positive, learning-by-doing approach for youth who will be future leaders; adult and peer role models; new skills that allow youth to design and implement projects with their communities; and activities and traditional spiritual values that provide a foundation of self-esteem in a multicultural society. NIYLP has conducted its National Indian Youth Leadership Camps for more than 15 years.

United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY)

J. R. Cook, Executive Director
UNITY
P.O. Box 25042
500 N. Broadway, Suite 250
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
http://www.unityinc.org
unity@unityinc.org
(405) 236-2800 / Fax: (405) 971-1071

UNITY, established in 1976, is a national network organization promoting citizenship, leadership, and personal development among Native American youth. UNITY's mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of Native youth by developing youth councils tailored to meet the needs and values of the respective tribes, villages, and communities. Youth council members interact with other Native youth throughout the United States by means of a UNITY Network. Activities include the annual conference, regional leadership training seminars, and sports clinics.

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