Building Up the Next Generation of Native American Leaders
Running Strong for American Indian Youth has had a profound, measurable impact on Native youth and their tribal communities through youth programs centered on leadership, development, wellness, and cultural connectedness.
Youth Program Support on the Ground
At the heart of Running Strong’s local impact is the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center on Pine Ridge, led by Field Coordinator Rose Fraser (Oglala Lakota). We broke ground on this 21,000+ sq ft building in 2021, and we celebrated its 3rd year of operation in 2025. The center serves more than 1,000 children and youth annually with daily cultural, educational, and recreational activities—open gym, traditional arts, cooking, sewing, and outdoor events that strengthen identity and promote wellness.
The affiliated Medicine Root Garden Program trains youth and families in sustainable agriculture and offers canning and preservation classes for youth.
Weekly classes include art, regalia making, cooking, music, and more. Weekly recreation includes open gym, basketball, fishing and other water activities, volleyball, and more.
Seasonal programs—like Halloween festivals, 4th of July “Dream Like Billy” runs, movie nights, and car shows—bring together youth and elders, reinforcing community bonds and cultural revitalization.
Youth Leadership and Development
Through the Dreamstarter® Program, Running Strong has built a national network of 100 Native youth leaders since 2015, funding their community-driven projects and providing mentorship, leadership training, and media development through the annual Dreamstarter Academy. Dreamstarters have addressed urgent issues such as environmental justice, storytelling, food sovereignty, education and health, creating measurable impacts in over 30 states and 36 tribal nations.
Youth have founded community gardens and adaptive sports teams, developed renewable energy solutions, and revitalized endangered Indigenous languages.
Dreamstarters have become elected tribal officials, community leaders, educators, health professionals, and parents – all while ushering in positive community change.
Through Dreamstarter GOLD, alumni continue scaling their work with $50,000 multi-year grants, transforming their projects into sustainable programs addressing climate change, education, and sovereignty.
Running Strong for American Indian Youth has a nationwide impact through its support of diverse youth leadership, education, and cultural programs that nurture Native identity, resilience, and opportunity.
Kohala Unupa‘a Summer Leadership Camp (Hawai’i) provides hands-on environmental and cultural learning for 15 Native Hawaiian youth, combining watershed and marine studies with stewardship projects and traditional ecological knowledge.
KU Native Storytelling Workshop (Kansas) brings together Native high school students from across many different tribal nations for a four-day intensive on podcasting, journalism, and digital media—empowering them to tell their stories and pursue higher education in media and communication fields.
Division of Indian Work’s Youth Leadership Development Program and Young Women’s Society (Minnesota) ensures year-round academic support, mentorship, and cultural enrichment for more than 50 Native youth, helping students overcome barriers to school success and thrive academically and socially.
