NMRC Represented at Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2017 Native Summit

This past November, I had the privilege of attending Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2017 Native Summit held in Fort Myers, Florida. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is celebrating an incredible 25 years of Native Clubs! This event marked the anniversary of a journey that started in 1992 with the establishment of the first Native Boys & Girls Club.

Today, 25 years later, BGCA is the nation’s largest youth service provider for Native youth. The campaign that began with one Club has since grown into a national network of nearly 200 Boys & Girls Clubs that serve over 86,000 Native youth, from 100 different American Indian, Alaska Native, American Samoan and Hawaiian Tribal communities.

Each day of the 2017 Native Summit was filled with informational breakout sessions, exhibitors, and cultural exchanges through a series of special performances, exceptional guest speakers, and a Cultural Night Social. Guests included Chair of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the President of the Navajo Nation, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and Alaska Native actor Martin Sensmeier, among many others. The Summit was kicked off by the presenting of flags representative of the Tribes and Nations in attendance, a particularly powerful act of unity. Motivational general sessions were held with prominent partners and ambassadors, empowering Club professionals and honoring their incredible work. Presenting partners included Nike N7, Walmart, and Federal agencies such as Indian Health Service (IHS), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Breakout sessions for Club professionals covered topics ranging from lifestyle trends with Native youth, best practices for Club programming, integrating culture into programming, and grant management tips which was especially helpful for Clubs who receive Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Mentoring Grants.

What made this event especially impactful was the sense of community, cultural diversity, and emphasis placed on the important role Boys & Girls Club staff play as mentors in the lives of Native youth. The 2017 Native Summit was a celebration of identity, tradition, leadership, and community, and we appreciate BGCA’s commitment to serving Native youth.