Native American Youth and Adult Partnership Program

By Bonnie Lockhart, MSW, Program Coordinator

The Native American Youth and Adult (NAYA) Partnership Program aims to bridge the gap. NAYA strengthens Native American youth through developing a deeper understanding of cultural identity, leadership and building upon their social network. Youth who participate in the NAYA program are encouraged to grow their strengths with the support of peers and positive adults to be creative, take healthy risks and dream big. Today, Native American youth and adults in the Ukiah Valley and the surrounding areas walk in two worlds. Caught between their identity as Native American and the challenges of the modern world.

Although there is little local data available that specifically focuses on Native American youth, a needs assessment comprised of student and parent surveys, interviews with Tribal Elders and other stakeholders, conducted by Pinoleville Pomo Nation and Ukiah Unified School District in 2014, elevated the greatest barriers for Native American youth. The top five barriers and needs reported from the data include:

1. Drugs and Alcohol
2. Lack of Mentorship/Peer Relationships/Family Support
3. Cultural Sensitivity/Cultural Identity
4. Academic Support/College Counseling
5. School-career connection/Career exploration & counseling
   
   

In the Ukiah Valley area and surrounding areas, Native American youth face many barriers while trying to succeed as students and young adults. After this data was collected it was clear that something needed to be done to better support local Native American youth academically, culturally and through mentorship. Native American Youth and Adult (NAYA) Partnership Program, is made possible through the Pomo Youth College Career and Success Project (PYCCSP) grant and collaboration between Pinoleville Pomo Nation and Redwood Community Services (RCS). NAYA is located inside of the RCS’s Arbor Youth Resource Center, 810 N. State Street, Ukiah CA 95482.

Youth and adults who participate in the NAYA program are given the opportunity to explore their strengths and areas of opportunity for growth. The program is as much about building relationships as is it is about reaching your personal goal. Through the 12-session group, participants become more connected to each other and their community by supporting each other in goal setting, building leadership skills and broadening their horizons. “We are training and preparing our youth to lead today and tomorrow. All we can hope for is that they lead together with respect and pride.” Bonnie Lockhart shares.

Through the sign-up process, youth identity skills, experiences and goals they would like a mentor to help them achieve. Based on their thoughts and ideas, the NAYA program coordinator “matches” youth with an adult mentor they are most compatible with to form a partnership. Through partnership, the youths goal becomes the mentor’s goal and they are now in it together. Youth and adult partnerships then meet together as group for a 12-sessions to form a circle of youth and adults who are focused on the skills and steps it takes to reach each partnership’s goal. Following the 12-sessions, youth work with their mentor for 6 months to reach their personal goal. Each youth is supported in reaching their goal by the NAYA program through coordination and financial assistance. After a couple months of putting in work, the youth and their mentors present their progress. The program lasts a total of 9 months and is open to all Native American Youth, ages 10-18, in the Ukiah Valley and surrounding areas.

Overtime, the NAYA staff have noticed that engaging adults and mentor recruitment has become as important as engaging youth.  Youth who are interested in joining the NAYA program are asked to identify qualities they are looking for in a mentor, and then nominate an adult in their community. Although the program is designed as a youth program it supports adults too. Being a Mentor may seem like a lot of pressure but being a NAYA mentor is less about knowing all the answers or wisdom and more about building a relationship with youth in our community and supporting them in reaching their goal. The NAYA program is currently looking for interested individuals to volunteer to be mentors for incoming NAYA youth. Anyone can apply to become a Mentor by going through the RCS volunteer process. “Youth and Adults have described their time in the NAYA program like being a part of a family – doing things together, supporting one another and having fun.” Lockhart shares.

Aside from becoming a mentor or joining the program, there are various opportunities to come together as a community throughout the year at quarterly prevention and early intervention community events and cultural classes produced by the NAYA program sometimes called NAYA Nights. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Basketball or another physical activity
• Support in relationship development and leadership
• Cultural teachings like basket weaving or traditional games to engage in identity formation and cross-generational learning

These events give youth, adults and families the opportunity to build positive relationships and strengthen bonds. Ways the community can support these events is through volunteering, donations and spreading the word. To get involved and learn more about NAYA please contact Bonnie Lockhart, Program Coordinator at: 707-367-9343, lockhartb@redwoodcommunityservices.org or find Native American Youth and Adult Partnership Program on Facebook to stay in the loop.

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Bonnie Lockhart, MSW was raised on the Pinoleville Indian Reservation. She is a community organizer, program developer, youth advocate, weaver and artist who invests her time in projects that nurture intergenerational healing through community building and culture. Bonnie’s work focuses on Native wellness, resilience and collective leadership. As a social worker, Bonnie co-facilitates a Native American Youth and Adult Partnership program through Redwood Community Services. On her path through recovery, Bonnie continues to learn and pass on teachings in collaboration with community and social change.