Program activities include recruiting underrepresented Native youth while reconnecting youth who are away from their tribal homelands.
Morning Star Leaders bridge young people to local urban tribes, educational communities, learning institutions, and non-profits with a goal to develop strong allies and leaders to serve all of Indian Country. With this goal, we work together to provide effective leaders who work on behalf of their communities and work hand-in-hand with other federal, state, and local authorities, schools and post-secondary institutions, and the nonprofit, business, arts and philanthropic communities.
ACF Grant Initiative:
As of this year, The Arizona Community Foundation surprised Morning Star Leaders with a grant aimed at surveying, identifying and solving issues Native Youth face in the education system. The two-pronged approach will 1) identify issues Native students face and 2) promote parents to take a more active role in their children’s education needs.
Morning Star Leaders has created an outline, list of goals, and timeline in which goals are to be completed in order to achieve our mission with the newly awarded funds. We hope this grant will allow Native Youth to have better opportunities in the education system and inspire young leaders to take an interest in what happens within their communities whether it be on or off-reservation lands.
Morning Star Leaders Youth Council Learns about Philanthropy at ACF
Quarterly Native Youth Initiatives:
Educational Series focusing on Personal, Social, and Cultural Development
Annual Native Youth Initiatives:
Backpack Drive: Backpacks serve the greater rural Arizona. State Planning Begins in January with delivery by the end of July each year, Native Youth are encouraged to nominate their classrooms, grades, or district to become recipients.
2013 Backpack Drive – Channel 12 News Footage
http://www.azcentral.com/video/2589118032001
Since then, the organization has evolved with a name change in December 2015 to become Morning Star Leaders, Inc. (MSL) with a clearer mission and renewed vision for the future of the organization and its purpose to Arizona tribal communities. MSL is now a certified 501(c)(3) organization established to operate and conduct affairs of a nonprofit Native American Youth Leadership support organization with the intent to empower, educate, and provide direct support to Native American youth through educational, cultural and social development opportunities.
