Running Strong for American Indian Youth

About This Project

Summary

Running Strong for American Indian Youth® believes in the dreams of Native youth to create stronger communities, overcome economic challenge and structural barriers, and foster cultural identity and connection. Running Strong’s Dreamstarter® program was created ten years ago to make the dreams of Native youth a reality through a combination of financial investment, hands-mentorship, and a community. Each year, we work with 10 Native youth to implement a community project inspired by their dreams

Goals & Objectives

The goal of the Dreamstarter program is to cultivate a network of young Native leaders who are committed to creating sustainable change in their communities and supporting them in myriad ways along the way. We fund the dream projects of Native youth and mentor them through their journeys.

Results & Impact

In 10 years, we've seen the dreams of 90 Native youth come to life and tangible, positive change in Native communities. We launched companion projects to support educators and artists. So far, we've served 143,453 people and invested $6,704,123 in 76 Native communities through our Dreamstarters.