Ketchikan Indian Community Tribal Youth Program

The Justice Department's grant-making components have created a streamlined approach for federally recognized Tribes, Tribal consortia, Alaska Native villages and corporations, as well as authorized tribal designees to apply for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funding opportunities. The Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) serves as a single solicitation for existing tribal government-specific grant programs administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The CTAS solicitation is designed to assist tribes with addressing crime and public safety issues in a comprehensive manner. The CTAS grant-application process was inspired by and developed after consultation with tribal leaders, including sessions at the Justice Department's Tribal Nations Listening Session in 2009, and has been updated based on continued tribal consultations and listening sessions. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides awards under CTAS Purpose Area 9--Tribal Youth Program (TYP) to federally recognized tribes to develop and implement programs that support and enhance Tribal efforts to prevent and control juvenile delinquency and strengthen juvenile justice systems for American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

The purpose of Ketchikan Indian Community's (KIC) Tribal Youth Program is to address issues of chronic absenteeism and “no-shows” in a proactive and family-centered way, while taking a culturally appropriate approach to supporting tribal students in Ketchikan, Alaska. The target population is Alaska Native and American Indian students and their families within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District school system who struggle to stay engaged in the education system, specifically those with a high number of unexcused absences. Through the use of a Tribal Youth Liaison, KIC will establish and implement a referral system between the school district and the program for allowing the Tribe to provide direct intervention and support with tribal families. Through this partnership, program staff will be able to identify at-risk individual youth and families and provide non-punitive support services and other kinds of assistance to remove barriers to educational engagement, including providing resources and services to the family as a whole to address systemic issues contributing to truancy. These strategies will include direct services (tutoring, assessment, mentorship, etc.) as well as connection to other services and/or resources (transportation assistance, counseling, clothing, etc.). A curriculum designed specifically for families in the region and used in workshops with the youth and families will also be developed, as will an orientation training for “aunties” and “uncles” who can provide natural social support to the student and family. The Tribal Youth Liaison will provide much needed coordination and individualized support to youth and families who often require additional advocacy and support within the school system. KIC believes through culturally-appropriate support and supportive services and curriculum they can increase school attendance of AI/AN youth. In turn, they will lay the groundwork for raising the graduation rate, increasing the opportunity to pursue post-secondary options and participate in the workforce. CA/NCF