Over this past fall and winter, over 40 Youth Ambassadors participated in our 10-week paid Leadership Development Program. Our Youth Ambassadors work in small groups with their peers and one Two Feathers’ staff member. These “work pods” are engaged in community building, public speaking, cultural learning, college and career exploration, and work skills development. Our Youth Ambassadors have accomplished amazing things over the past few months! They spoke to state representatives in Hoopa and advocated for their communities’ needs, traveled to Arizona for a Youth Leadership Conference with the Native Wellness Institute, demonstrated a Brush Dance at a Golden State Warriors Basketball Game, helped out at the Potawot Community Garden, led clubs at their high schools, gathered acorns and tan oak mushrooms, sewed their own ribbon skirts, attended trainings on mental health and substance use prevention, supported numerous Two Feathers community and school events, and learned self-defense skills, all while developing their social skills and stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Our next Leadership Development Program session begins January 16 and we are so excited to see the ways in which our Youth Ambassadors continue to positively grow and become leaders in their communities.