UNITY ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR ITS 2018 UNITY 25 UNDER 25 NATIVE YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Mesa, Arizona - UNITY is now accepting nominations for its 2018 UNITY 25 Under 25 Native Youth Leadership Awards. The program is designed to celebrate the achievements of Native American and Alaskan Native youth ages 14 to 24 who embody UNITY's core mission and exude living a balanced life developing their spiritual, mental, physical and social well-being.

Honorees will be recognized at a ceremony during the National UNITY Conference, which takes place July 5 – 9, 2018 in San Diego, California at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. In addition to being recognized and receiving a custom beaded medallion, each awardee will receive special training by UNITY during a nine-month period that is designed to build on their individual achievements and promote community service.

The 25 Under 25 Native Youth Leadership Awards has been made possible in past years thanks to a matching grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The awards program began in 2014 and is awarded every other year. The 2018 class will be UNITY's 3rd class of honorees.

About UNITY, Inc.

United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) is a national network organization promoting personal development, citizenship, and leadership among Native Youth. UNITY's mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native Youth and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement. UNITY's network currently includes 165 affiliated youth councils in 36 states. Youth Councils are sponsored by Tribes, Alaska Native villages, high schools, colleges, urban centers, and others.

2018 UNITY "25 Under 25 Native Youth Leadership Award" Application

2018 recipients of the award are eligible to receive Hotel and Travel Assistance to the 42nd Annual National UNITY Conference taking place July 5 - 9, 2018 at the Town & Country in San Diego, CA.

The purpose of UNITY's 25 Under 25 program is to:

* Recognize the accomplishments of Native young people, ages 14 to 24, who are dedicated to serving their communities

* Provide training and hands-on learning activities that will increase the participants' ability to serve their community

* Encourage rising Native leaders to aspire to greater levels of achievement

* Build a support network of 'service to community' minded leaders that will grow with each year; and Further the UNITY mission of building a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement

Invitation to Apply:

UNITY is now seeking American Indian and Alaska Native youth between the ages of 14 to 24, who have shown a commitment to serving their communities, to apply for this exciting program. For additional information, please visit the UNITY website: http://www.unityinc.org.

Application Process:

Only online completed applications received by the due date will be considered.

Complete application packet includes:

Completed Application Form, Completed Nomination Form, and a Resume

Due Date:

Applications must be received in the UNITY office by 5:00 pm (Pacific Daylight Time) on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

The selections to the 2018 class of the UNITY 25 Under 25 program will be announced in April 2018.

Supplemental Information:

Applicants are encouraged to provide up to 5 supplemental materials to support their application using the following:

* News articles

* Certificates of awards

* Letters of recognition or recommendation, etc.

All supplemental materials must be included online with Application Packet. Application materials will not be returned so, include copies only - no originals.

Nomination:

Candidates may be nominated by family members, teachers/mentors, Tribal/community leaders, peers and employers. The person making the nomination should know the applicant well and be willing to support the candidate's application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the nominator is aware of this requirement and is committed to submitting the nomination as part of your online packet. The Nomination Information must be filled out before moving to the Applicant Essay portion of the application.

Questions:

If you have questions, contact LorenAshley Buford at the UNITY office at (480) 718-9793 or email la.buford@unityinc.org

PLEASE NOTE: UNITY IS ACCEPTING ON-LINE APPLICATIONS ONLY

United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.

1 North MacDonald Drive, Suite 212

Mesa, AZ 85201

2016 class of UNITY 25 under 25 Honorees