In just four months, while our team was adjusting to unprecedented changes from the pandemic, the NB3FIT team completed 23 trainings all focused on advancing their skills and knowledge of the in sports in our youth programming.Above you will see the list of trainings and you’ll see how beneficial they will all be to not only the coaches, but to the youth who participate in NB3FIT Programming.With hope of in-person programming returning sooner than later, our NB3FIT coaches will be ready and even more skilled than they were just a year ago.

 

We are excited to share recipes from Native youth themselves.
Gunner and Malia are participants in our NB3FIT virtual programming and took up the challenge to create their own healthy recipe! At the NB3 Foundation, we believe it is important  to introduce healthy eating and drinking to our children starting at birth. It is so encouraging to see Native youth exploring and making healthy food choices.

Thank you to Gunner and Malia for sharing your recipes with us!

Enjoy!

Gunners CrazyBerry Smoothie
Ingredients:

  • Lowfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/4 cup of berries (blue berries, raspberries, strawberries)
  • Flaxseed

Directions:
Put in blender:

  • 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 banana and handful of berries with two strawberries.
  • 1 tsp of flaxseed

Mix in blender for 1 minute.

 

Malia’s Berry Fruitcakes
Ingredients:

  • 1-2 Rice Cakes
  • 1 Fresh Banana
  • 2-3 Fresh Strawberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh Raspberries
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Blueberries
  • 1-2 Tbsp Nutella (substitutes: peanut butter, almond butter)

Directions:

  • Slice bananas and strawberries.
  • Place rice cakes on platter.
  • Spread Nutella onto rice cakes.
  • Add as many berries and bananas that can fit on top.

By: Alva Gachupin | Evaluation and Research Dept. Coordinator

The Tribal Data Champion Initiative is presented by University of New Mexico Center for Participatory Research (UNM-CPR) and funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The cohort provides opportunities for Indigenous individuals working in Indigenous communities or organizations  to strengthen their evaluation skills by engaging in innovative Indigenous based on co-learning and collaborative of community practice.

The Tribal Data Champions cohort was a great benefit, not only for myself, but for the organization as a whole.  The tools and skill gained in building knowledge in Indigenous Data sovereignty methods and methodologies will always be a resource for the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation.

The Tribal Data Champion cohort  was a space to connect with other organizations with similar goals and objectives in building and strengthening program evaluation and research skills.  Through my participation with the cohort, I have built a network of family as a resource to continue the work in strengthening Indigenous evaluation. The cohort creates a network of like-minded individuals to continue this relevant work of going back to our Indigenous ways of knowing.

If you are interested in applying or learning more about the initiative visit https://nas.unm.edu/ for more details.

We celebrated National Volunteer Week by reaching out to our volunteers who helped during our COVID-19 Response Fund food distributions. Volunteers are important to us at NB3 Foundation because they help us provide quality programs and events. Over the years our volunteers helped us run successful events such as the New Mexico Grande Slam and our NB3FIT XC race. We have also been fortunate to have volunteers from communities coach our various youth programs and even folks who gave some of their time to organize and clean our office spaces. We are looking forward to opening our doors and arms again to volunteers in the near future when it is deemed safe to gather again.

Thank you!

Aldrei Alfonso

Aldrian Draper

Ashleigh Claw

Cathy Newby

Christine Means

Dawn Begay

Delane Big Claw

Derek Valdo

Diane Castillo

Elijah Star

Girt Carr-Hohenstien

Isabella De Jesus

Jan Wallner

Jodie Willetto

Liz De Jesus

Marshall Quam

Maxine Velasquez

Nicolette Abeyta

Notah Begay III

Nykki Antonio

Rick Gonzales

Sarah Braaten

Sean Lujan

Shannon Fleg

Sheldon Purly

Taylor Lucero

Trey Benally

Apache County District One

Chinle Community Health Representatives

Chinle IHS CSU

Members of the NB3 Foundation attended an Ableism 1010 workshop series hosted by the University of Arizona’s Disability Cultural Center. The program was aimed at providing base knowledge about disability identity, culture and activism. During the series, staff learned about ableist terminology, micoraggressions, disability activism history and how to create accessible spaces and events, and about the roots of disability justice work.

Earlier this month, staff also attended the Inaugural American Indian Youth Disability Summit   hosted by the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. The virtual gathering focused on the youth experience in Native communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and what can be done to help youth adapt during these unprecedented times.

Attending these free workshops were a great learning experience and one example of how the NB3 Foundation is continually growing and learning to better promote inclusivity and accessibility in all our youth programs, events and work.

Twelve Native youth from across New Mexico make up our first-ever Get Active youth campaign.  The campaign is focused on promoting health and wellness in Native youth ages 12-18. Due to the pandemic, we know many of our Native youth have been separated from their peers and their usual school routines. Through the Get Active campaign, youth have been given the opportnuity to (virtually) come together with Native youth across the state to focus on staying healthy and active. We have been offering virtual programming since last summer, however this campaign gave us an opportunity to reach an older demographic of youth.

The youth  have been asked to perform different activities that are aimed at guiding youth towards taking the lead of their own health and wellness. Each week has been centered around on one of our four core areas: physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections. Some of the activities youth have been asked to preform include designing their own workout routine, making a healthy meal for their family and interviewing  their elders.

During virtual check-ins, youth and their accountability partners (parents/guardians) reflect and share their highlights and challenges performing assigned tasks. Besides being provided FitKits that contain small workout gear and sample exercises, the youth have been tackling the tasks on their own! We’ve witnessed just how creative, motivated determined this group of young people are to live healthy lifestyles.

The campaign finishes up this week, however we look forward to keeping up with this amazing group of youth to see how they continue on their healthy journey.

Here are some photos recapping their journey thus far.

Please welcome Jennie Holmes, Pueblo of Sandia, as she recently joined our team as a NB3FIT program coordinator.
Jennie is a certified athletic trainer, who completed her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training last year. Currently, she is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico studying community health education.
“The opportunity to empower Indigenous youth in ways so they can promote their own health is what motivates me to work at the NB3 Foundation. Being a part of those moments of positivity and joy is what makes it all worth it.”
We’re excited to have Jennie on board.