Gallup, NM
Founder/Executive Director: McClellan Hall
The National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP) is a New Mexico-based nonprofit, innovator and leader in substance abuse prevention and positive youth development for Native American youth.
Its mission is to nurture the potential of Native youth to be contributors to a more positive world through adventure-based learning and service to family, community, and nature. NIYLP has a 30-year track record creating positive outcomes for high-risk Native youth through our evidence-based programming.
“While data may look scary, it gives us a solid foundation upon which we can make informed decisions and helps take the guess work out of operational decision-making.”
– McClellan Hall, National Indian Youth Leadership Project
The TANAY (Therapeutic Adventures for Native American Youth) program, which was the focus of NIYLP’s PropelNext work, serves Native American youth ages 12–16 who have experienced trauma, court involvement, substance abuse, mental health issues, or are at risk for academic failure, school suspension and/or expulsion.
The TANAY program challenges Native youth to discover their skills and assets through structured outdoor learning activities such as rock climbing, backpacking and mountain biking, and includes therapeutic and cultural service components to support youth at higher risk of substance abuse, school dropout, suicide, injury and violence. The program relies on traditional Native American values to help youth develop a positive self-concept, effective social skills, a community service ethic, self-control, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Watch McClellan Hall talk about his organization’s experiences