Native American Youth And Family Center (NAYA) - Native American Support Services

Group	Community And Other Support Services
Category	Native American Support Services
Name	Native American Youth And Family Center (NAYA)
Provider	Native American Youth And Family Center, Inc.

Description

The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) works to enrich the lives of Native youth and families through education, community involvement, and culturally specific programming. Their mission is to enhance the diverse strengths of their youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education.

NAYA Family Center offers a holistic set of wraparound services designed to create stability in the lives of their youth and families. They provide educational services, cultural arts programming, and direct support to reduce poverty to the Portland Metropolitan Area Native American community. They offer a wide array of comprehensive services and community-based solutions, including lifelong educational opportunities, cultural identity, leadership development, elders support, homes for families, early childhood programs, and paths to financial security based on traditional tribal values.

Youth and Education Programs :

NAYA’s largest department is their Youth and Education Services Department .

The NAYA Many Nations Academy (MNA) serves 9th–12th graders in a culturally relevant, student-centered learning environment with a blended high school and college and career readiness curriculum. The Many Nations Academy Scholarship Fund allows students to concentrate on their education, free of financial worries.

NAYA Family Center also provides academic and social opportunities to grade school, middle school, and high school students throughout the Portland area to help them reach their full potential through academically rigorous learning opportunities, culturally specific programming, and provision of professional counseling and other support services. Advocates are sent to public high schools to support native students and to encourage them to remain in school. NAYA’s Learning Center offers after-school educational and social programming. Another program offers wrap-around services for homeless youth (up until age 24) with referrals for housing, schooling, and tutoring. Their College and Career Office assists with scholarship applications, resumes, GED testing, and some one-on-one tutoring.

NAYA Youth Services offers seasonal programs and camps including a high school credit recovery program, a middle school and upper primary grade summer camp, and spring break camps focused on language arts, math, science, and cultural knowledge. All activities are hands-on and field trip based. These programs are free to qualifying students.

NAYA’s Culture, Education, and Wellness team provides culturally relevant programming for 2nd through 12th grade youth and their families. Their services include afterschool learning center, seasonal camps, sports teams and camps, culture nights, and more. NAYA’s culturally specific early childhood programming includes ready-to-learn programs, parent supports, and parent-child engagement services.

NAYA’s College and Career Center seeks to increase the numbers of Native American youth attending and graduating from some form of education and training beyond high school. They offer services to prepare youth for college, including career exploration, school search and exploration, resources for standardized test preparation, admissions and scholarship assistance, and educational workshops for youth and families. All College & Career services are available online. Youth can get connected to Virtual College Night, online workshops & college visits, and to a coach online. The NAYA Many Nations Academy Alumni Scholarships are available to students who have attended or are currently attending the Many Nations Academy, planning to attend an accredited educational institution.

Community Economic Development NAYA Family Center offers programs to support economic well-being, including Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), financial wellness classes, Basics of Business, a Native Business Accelerator program, one-on-one business coaching, and opportunities with NAYA’s marketplace and retail. They offer a 12-week course on native micro-enterprises where participants get information about licensing, budgeting, and branding.

NAYA’s Elder Services include a permanent space on their campus for gatherings that is also used for Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday elder exercise classes. Through a grant from Multnomah County, NAYA Family Center provides free lunches for elders on weekdays. They also provide outreach and educational services that supply needed information and access to services available to elders in the community.

NAYA Foster Care Services Program assists youth and families who are involved with state or tribal foster care systems. They offer services to youth from birth to age 24 as well as their families. Young adults who aged out of foster care can also receive services through age 24. NAYA assists youth and families to identify and access other community resources. They support families with reunification or in finding other permanent homes and recruit new foster families from the Native American community and support them through the certification process.

NAYA Family Center also maintains a Community Garden and runs a Health Equity Program to supplement public health services available. NAYA’s wrap around services include emergency energy assistance, clothing closet, food pantry, homeless services and domestic violence interventions.

NAYA Family Center provides a continuum of housing options for members of their community through the work of their Community Development office that has developed a number of housing projects in the Portland area that provide affordable housing units and services. NAYA rents apartments, on a sliding scale, through their website. When funds are available, they offer rental assistance to homeless families. https://nayapdx.org/services/housing/

NAYA’s Homeownership Program provides culturally specific homeownership coaching, education, and programming to increase homeownership opportunities for Portland’s urban Native community. All of their services are free and they are an equal housing opportunity provider. Their Homeownership Program is supported by the Portland Housing Bureau, Oregon Housing And Community Services, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Facilities

Native American Youth And Family Center (NAYA)

Contacts

Contact: Community Reception Manager - Christie Merrill Phone: (503) 288-8177