Brave Heart Fellowship
Champions for Change
CA Native Youth Collective
Remembering Our Sisters
Building Communities of Hope
Creative Native
Democracy is IndigenousCreating transformation through advocacy, resilience and culture
About the Program
Building Communities of Hope (BCOH) is an initiative designed for Native youth (ages 18-24) who have lived experience in and/or are passionate about transforming the foster care system.
Understanding the complexities of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and how it functions today is of paramount importance, as it provides baseline protections for Indigenous children within the system.
Building from a successful multi-year Fellowship program, CNAY is working closely with child welfare experts and advocates to develop a first-of-its-kind training curriculum.
The curriculum is designed to educate systems-impacted youth, their families and child welfare professionals about specific policy and legal considerations when it comes to upholding ICWA and understanding the broader implications of foster care for Native youth. This collaborative initiative will also help equip those with lived experience in the system with the knowledge, skills and understanding of how to become engaged advocates and improve the system at the Tribal, state and federal levels.
Learn More
CNAY is currently developing the curriculum with support from Melissa Clyde, Roxy Sprowl and O’mastewin Foster. Throughout 2025, CNAY will be conducting a landscape analysis and piloting elements of the curriculum.
To learn more about this initiative, or to get involved, please contact Katy Stewart: katy.stewart@aspeninstitute.org.
Learn about the most recent cohort of BCOH Fellows: Meet the 2023/2024 Building Communities of Hope Fellows
Meet the Fellows
