Thank you so much for your generous donation to the American Indian Youth Wellness Camp! Your gift means a lot to us. Please know that your dollars are going to good use to support the ongoing efforts to promote healthy lifestyle among American Indian youth.

Thanks again!

A special heart-felt 'Thank You' to ALL the donors to our 2019 American Indian Youth Wellness Camp crowdfunding campaign.  Without a doubt you are making a difference for native youth.  May you be blessed for all your generosity and belief in our work.

We have received $50,000 from the Tohono O'odham Nation and so our 2019 crowdfunding campaign goal has been met! It is wonderful to have the support of Tohono O'odham Nation and to know they are invested in our native youth, the future of our respective tribal communities. The $50,000 award from the Tohono O'odham Nation is the largest single award made to the camp thus far.  In the past, the American Indian Youth Wellness Camp has also received support through the Tohono O'odham Nation  Desert Diamond Casinos.  Thank you Tohono O'odham Nation!

Booster sessions are a new component of our program and are being proposed to address the critical importance of including family to support and sustain positive change. The booster sessions will include extended contact with local program leaders beyond the week-long camp and ongoing coaching and support for youth and their parents/caregivers. Evidence suggests parental participation and ongoing support is integral to establishing healthy habits. Booster sessions will be adapted from existing curriculum (e.g., National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Lifestyle Change Program core curriculum. Booster session content will reinforce the knowledge and skills conferred through camp participation and emphasize parent engagement through coaching and expanded Mind Body Medicine skills training for youth.

Your support makes these sessions possible; thank you!

A sincere thank you to donors!  You are AWESOME!

Over the past weeks, we have been holding booster sessions to involve families in healthy lifestyles.  We've held education sessions on physical activity and diet. On deck for this coming Wednesday, April 10, mind body medicine.  The parents have said they are learning a lot and are enjoying the sessions.  The kids are happy to see each other and are liking the refresher lessons. 

With your support, we can make inclusion of parents and siblings a regular part of our program. Donate today!

THANK YOU to our donors!  Due to donor generosity we are now at 13% of our goal. Please spread information on our wellness camp to your friends, family and co-workers, and donate today!

This past week, the 2019 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes was released.  For the recommendations on Lifestyle Management for children and adolescents, our camp is on track.

1. We are providing culturally appropriate lifestyle programming that integrates healthy eating and physical activity

2. We are engaging youth in more than 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity while at camp, 5 days in a week

3. We are focused on healthy eating

We call it transformation.

HOW IT WORKS

1. CAMP—Kids come to camp for a week of healthy eating, exercise, learning, and fun! There they receive in-depth physical assessments to track progress and personalize pathways to health. We also use this data to improve the effectiveness of our program.

2. FOLLOW UP—After camp, classes and programming help transition students back to daily life. Progress is monitored through personal check-ins, supporting both students and parents after the safety net of camp is gone. Connections with parents are especially important, since their habits and actions largely influence the health of children.

3. DATA ANALYSIS—With innovative technology we collect data from students during the intervention. This includes body composition, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting cholesterol, Hemoglobin, and much more. We use this data to improve student health, and also to increase the quality of programming.