Our program goal is to continue the ponca tribal youth program to minimize youth truancy, bullying, school drop-out, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression

The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma received a $508,245 Formula Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Tribal Youth Program (CFDA 16.731) to operate the Ponca Tribal Youth Program from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2026. The program aims to minimize youth truancy, bullying, school drop-out, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression among the 181 youth ages 8-17 in the Ponca Tribal service area. Key services include prevention, intervention, and counseling programs to develop youth leadership skills. Specific activities incorporate culture camps, arts and crafts, motivational speakers, and sending one youth annually to the United Nations Indian Tribal Youth conference. The program also provides assessments and counseling through behavioral health counselors and supports a youth advisory board and youth leadership council. Funding will allow expansion of services to younger youth and collection of baseline data on bullying experiences to address through awareness and resilience building.

The program strategy encompasses prevention, intervention, and counseling to increase a youth's leadership potential. The population served will be the 181 youth within the ponca tribal service area. The program will empower youth through leadership skills, after-school activities, monthly family events, and personal development to reduce negative choices. Activities will include culture camps, arts and crafts, motivational speakers, and sending a youth annually to the united national indian tribal youth (UNITY) conference. The program provides support to youth through a project coordinator and assistant, as well as a youth advisory board, a youth leadership council, and counselors in the behavioral health department who provide assessments and counseling. The program will lower the age of youth served from 10 to 8, serving 8-17 year-old youth. Additionally, the program will add questions regarding youth experiences with bullying to our survey to get baseline data on bullying. They will address bullying by raising awareness and strengthening protective factors that build resilience.