Deepening Culture Bearer Pathways and Leadership for BIPOC Youth

This project is an experiential-based program aimed at cultivating critical consciousness and social justice awareness in high school youth. Activities and experiences include: 1) A weekly program that is youth-led equips participants with frameworks, language, skills, and tools to comprehend their roles in the social change ecosystem, develop community asset maps, and practice components of Youth Participatory Action Research; 2) Action Teams empower youth to research, design, and implement action projects to tackle social justice issues they are passionate about; 3) Cultural Sessions provide a space for youth to explore, reflect, and share their cultural identities, as well as practice solidarity and empathy by learning from each other; 4) Alongside skills development, youth will also participate in presentations and workshops hosted by trusted community leaders, such as healing through the arts or sharing dialogue with elders; 5) Monthly field trips across Minnesota that will offer immersive experiences at sites resonant with BIPOC community resistance and resilience, including Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, Sumner Field Housing Development, East Side Freedom Library, and Hmong Cultural Center; 7) Year-end showcase where youth share their projects and learnings with their families, friends and the broader community.