Brave Heart Fellowship

Providing pathways for Native youth leaders to enhance their skills as protectors of our lands, waterways and sacred sites, and stewards for food sovereignty.

APPLICATIONS OPEN: Apply to be a 2025 Brave Heart Fellow by October 21, 2024.

About the Program

The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) created the Brave Heart Fellowship (BHF) to uplift youth voices, while addressing the representation gap and inequities facing Indigenous Peoples in the fight for climate justice.

The program centers Native youth in environmental justice efforts by equipping them to advocate and mobilize their communities to advance food sovereignty and protect traditional lands, waterways and sacred sites – preserving Native culture, paving the way for an Indigenous-led future and protecting the Earth for all.

Meet the Fellows

This regional fellowship supports youth-led change through a culturally-competent curriculum, intergenerational learning space and promotion of policy change at the tribal, local, state and national level. Fellows work alongside community members and like-minded organizations to address how issues of man-made disruption, climate change and natural disasters have impacted the land beneath our feet.

Get Involved

Applications for the 2025 Brave Heart Fellowship are now open! The six-month program will run from December 2024 to May 2025. We invite self-identified Native youth (ages 18-24) from the Pacific Northwest & Alaska to apply.

Ten youth will be selected to participate, receiving micro-grants and technical assistance to develop and implement environmentally-focused community action projects. These projects can take various forms, including written reports, tribal ordinances, digital campaigns, events, workshops, research projects or anything else identified as a need.

Applicants must submit their completed Brave Heart Fellowship Application no later than October 21, 2024 at 11:59pm ET.

GET STARTED

Submission Eligibility

Self-identify as Native or Indigenous
Between the ages of 18- and 24-years-old
Currently reside in Alaska, (Northern) California, Idaho, Oregon or Washington

Expectations

In addition to completing projects, Fellows are expected to commit time to related activities, including:

Brave Heart Week: Four 90-minute nightly Zoom meetings – January 13-16, 2025 – to kick-off the program.
Monthly Virtual Sessions: Monthly 60-minute Zoom meetings to network with one another, learn from environmental experts and receive project support.
In-Person Convening: An in-person convening – May 28-31, 2025 – to close out the 2025 Fellowship. NOTE: CNAY will cover associated costs, including travel, lodging and food.

Questions? Please contact Katy Stewart (katy.stewart@aspeninstitute.org). We also have a printable PDF flyer available for download to share in your local community!

Learn More

Key tenets of the Brave Heart Fellowship include narrative change, education and community action surrounding the pivotal role of Native American youth in preserving our planet.

Narrative Change

BHF provides a platform for Fellows to share their work in their own voice, furthering the narrative and discourse surrounding Native American youth, climate justice and land conservation. We encourage Fellows to approach and reframe conservation efforts from a Native perspective and provide unique opportunities to highlight their efforts through local and national media outlets.

Community of Learning

At CNAY, we recognize the critical importance of cultural knowledge. Fellows engage with Tribal leaders, members of their community, land conservationists, policy leaders and other experts to develop comprehensive knowledge of the current threats to lands, waterways, traditional foods and sacred sites. BHF encourages intergenerational learning – the passing down of stories, cultural happenings and the histories of the land from elders to youth. Ultimately, it is our hope that Fellows become the knowledge keepers of their communities.

Community of Action

The power of youth-led community initiatives is undeniable. Fellows receive micro-grant funding and technical assistance to develop and execute Community Action Projects, which may include written reports, tribal ordinances and resolutions, digital media campaigns, events, blogs or other communication materials. This experiential learning opportunity facilitates growth in financial literacy, project and grant management, community organizing and other professional development skills.