The harvesting change program has identified adair county (with a 41 percent native american population and the highest poverty rate in the reservation) as its target service area, where IT will…

The Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the Tribal Youth Program (CFDA 16.731) to the Cherokee Nation. The funding will support the "Harvesting Change" program, which targets Adair County (with a 41% Native American population and highest poverty rate on the reservation) to deliver community awareness events, provide educational materials to local schools, and offer individual and family interventions such as one-on-one mentoring and skill-building activities. The goal is to keep children and families in the home community as productive, contributing citizens by increasing awareness and delivering services that address delinquency risks. This 5-year grant, awarded on October 1, 2023, will enable the Cherokee Nation to leverage its expertise as a federally recognized tribal government to implement a comprehensive program addressing the needs of at-risk youth and families within the target service area.

The harvesting change program has identified adair county (with a 41 percent native american population and the highest poverty rate in the reservation) as its target service area, where IT will hold community awareness events, provide educational materials to local schools, and provide a host of individual and family interventions, including one-on-one mentoring and family skill-building activities. By providing educational materials, outreach opportunities, and increasing community awareness activities to the families of those who are most at risk for delinquency and moving on to more serious offenses, cherokee nation hopes to keep the children and their families in their home community as productive, contributing citizens.