National Indian Youth Leadership Project: Project Venture
National Indian Youth Leadership Project
The National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP) is a national leader in Indigenous positive youth development and experiential education. Founded and rooted in New Mexico, NIYLP has been working over three decades to help Indigenous youth to embrace their potential through outdoor adventure and service.
NIYLP’s flagship program, Project Venture, is an evidence-based, culturally guided, outdoor experiential youth adventure program that incorporates service learning and peer mentoring and leadership. Project Venture was created under the guidance of Indigenous elders, who emphasized using traditional culture to address contemporary challenges. NIYLP works in partnership with schools to fill a gap in services. Project Venture aims to strengthen and increase protective factors and reduce risk factors that predispose Indigenous adolescents to negative and risky behaviors. Evaluation outcomes show reductions in risky behaviors including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, violence, depression, and anxiety; and increases in positive youth development indicators including those related to competency, connection, character, caring, confidence, and contribution.
Project Venture has been adapted to address opioid use disorder, suicide prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, and transition to adulthood. Our newest adaptation, Project Pre-Venture, connects Indigenous elementary school-aged children to their ancestral traditions around sustainable agricultural practices and the natural world through gardening and other outdoor experiential activities.
NIYLP has served thousands of Indigenous and at-risk youth in more than 90 replication sites across 25 states, Canada, Jamaica, and Europe. Currently, NIYLP provides direct services to about 1,000 young people in three states, with 600 located in New Mexico. NIYLP also provides capacity building training and guidance to 60 Project Venture replication sites nationally and internationally.
_____
The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited nonprofit partners to submit stories related to its May topic of Mental Health Awareness.
Nonprofits supporting the health and well-being of local youth
At the Santa Fe Community Foundation, we believe that when young people thrive, our entire community benefits. Across northern New Mexico, dedicated nonprofits are working tirelessly to ensure that children and teens have access to the healthcare, mental health support, and resources they need to grow, learn, and succeed.
Local nonprofits leading the way in senior services
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 30% of New Mexico's population will be over age 60 by the year 2030, an increase of nearly 50% from 2012. We invite you to learn more about local nonprofits that are working to meet a critical and ever-growing need for senior services.
New Mexico Kids Matter
New Mexico Kids Matter advocates for children who have been abused or neglected by empowering community volunteers to speak up for them in the foster care system with the goal of having every child grow up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
