Youth Programming

Empowering Future Leaders through Culture, Storytelling & Land-Based Learning

Program Overview

Our Youth Program works to increase ecological and cultural literacy through land-based camps that provide creative, hands-on learning opportunities centered in cultural connection, creative self-expression, and exposure to the Indigenous and Western science core to restoring and sustaining our homelands. The bulk of current programming is centered in Blackfoot Territory, but will expand to other homelands over the course of 2025 and to virtual platforms in order to connect and reach more youth across Indian Country. Internship and scholarship opportunities are also core to the program.

Photo by: Louise Johns

Our Goals

  • Deepen ecological and cultural knowledge

  • Elevate youth voices and visions

  • Support youth stepping into their own authority and agency

  • Inspire renewed relationship to our more-than-human relatives and their homelands

Mission Alignment

Our Youth Programs support INDIGENOUS LED’s core pillars:

  • Protect – Land-based learning, sacred law, conservation, and governance

  • Heal – Ceremony, storytelling, mentorship, and cultural practices as healing

  • Celebrate – Honoring youth as cultural knowledge bearers and leaders

Photo by: Morgan Newnham

Opportunities for Youth

Photo by: Louise Johns

Grow. Lead. Serve.
Explore ways to get involved and grow your skills:

  • Youth Camps – Learn from Elders, engage in land-based science, ceremony, and storytelling

    • Braided Science Camp – July 2025

    • Healing Camp – August 2025

  • Scholarships
    2025 Indigenous Youth Scholarship

    • Open through May 16, 2025

    • 4 Scholarships at $1,000 each

    • Apply now!

  • Internships
    Launching April 14, 2025

    • Assist with camps, media, or conservation projects

    • Earn service hours + mentorship

    • Receive mentorship + a certificate of completion 

  • Community Service
    Contribute to events like Iinnii Days, cultural ceremonies, or community dinners

    • Verified service hours

    • Resume-building & leadership recognition

    • Recognition as a young Indigenous leader 

Podcast Episode 3: Empowering indigenous youth

Photo by: Louise Johns

At the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, a conversation unfolds with Sara Little Bear, Youth Programs Manager at INDIGENOUS LED. She shares her role in designing and launching seasonal land-based camps that deepen Native youth’s ecological and cultural knowledge, emphasizing the vital role young people play in conservation. Youth participants speak about their experiences and aspirations, highlighting the importance of cultural preservation, youth engagement, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. The episode centers the power of youth voices in informing conservation and celebrates the healing strength of Indigenous cultures.

why it matters

Photo by: Christopher Carter

These programs aren’t just about events—they are about belonging. They prepare youth to reclaim ancestral knowledge, restore community, and shape a future rooted in cultural values and Indigenous leadership.

Contact us.

Sara Little Bear
Youth & Community Engagement Manager
sara@indigenousled.org