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Statement Of Need. . An Elder Youth Program Implemented

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Statement of Need An Elder Youth program implemented by Bristol Bay Native Association is needed to facilitate daily interaction between Native students and Native Elders in BBNA communities. This interaction would foster the transmission of Alaska Native cultural values and knowledge from Elders to youth while also pairing students with supportive role models. In his findings, Reyhner (1992) mentions the utilization of Native Elders for providing mentor services that go beyond what is offered in academic counseling. This concept was recognized by RurAL CAP, a non-profit organization in Alaska that strives to improve quality of life for low-income Alaskans. RurAL CAP has an Elder Mentor program in place with goals that include…show more content…
The target population to be impacted by the proposed program is Native Elders and youth residing in the 31 communities in BBNA’s consortium. It is important to note that Alaska Native cultures do not designate age requirements to be considered an Elder. Elders earn their designation within their communities after the sum of their life experiences have been broad enough to reflect on and derive teachings from. Thus, there will be no age range for Elders that wish to participate in the program identified in the target population. Youth ages will be from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Many of BBNA’s existing services give preference to economically disadvantaged persons, however, this program will not base eligibility on income. It will be open to all Native Elders and youth who are residents of their community. The need for an Elder Youth program was identified through analyzation of BBNA’s existing services. It required thinking critically about what more could be done to grow the organization’s impact. It became clear that while BBNA does currently offer services for children, youth, and Elders, the existing programs could be further bolstered to create additional benefits. Suggested changes to existing programs will be discussed in the Proposed Program section of the paper. BBNA is well positioned to respond to the need for an
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