Mesa, AZ – October 26, 2018 – United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) and the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) have entered a three-year cooperative agreement that provides UNITY $500,000 of funding to engage Native American youth and youth serving programs in a national initiative that builds on the successes of the past OJJDP National Intertribal Youth Leadership efforts and the Today’s Native Leaders program. The initiative will  support and enhance Native youth engagement, coordination, and action related to public safety issues, with a focus on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention in Indian country. 

UNITY will be recruiting a diverse group of youth leaders and mentors, who will design and facilitate intensive training in critical aspects of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention efforts for cohorts of youth throughout the country. Young people will serve as leaders to provide training, mentoring, support, resources, information, and other assistance for their peers who are interested in becoming leaders in efforts to increase public safety and creatively prevent and address juvenile delinquency. UNITY, with its team of trainers, youth guides, and mentors will offer a series of regional youth leadership development trainings that will enable Native youth, and their adult advisors,  to create, plan, organize, and carry out projects, programs, education, awareness campaigns and other efforts within their respective communities.  The projects will benefit tribal communities while providing valuable real-world leadership experiences that will better prepare the involved youth to succeed in their future leadership roles.

“The UNITY staff, Council of Trustees members, and youth leaders of the National UNITY Council are pleased to announce this partnership with OJJDP and look forward to providing Native youth with the opportunities made possible through the Intertribal Youth Development Initiative. I encourage Native youth and youth-serving programs throughout Native America to take part in what will be an impactful three-year project,” said Mary Kim Titla, UNITY Executive Director.

UNITY will announce project activities and events on the UNITY website (www.unityinc.org) and other media outlets during the next few months.

UNITY, Inc. is a national network organization that has promoted personal development, citizenship, and leadership among Native youth between the ages of 14–24 since 1976. This Initiative is supported by a cooperative agreement (2018–TY–FX–K002) between UNITY, Inc. and the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.