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Page 1

Center for Native American Youth - 2026 Fellowship Application

Please note that all application information must be the applicant's own original work. CNAY does not accept non-original computer-generated text or writing nor duplicates of any material found in books, magazines, or other published works, including the internet.

Intro

Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Center for Native American Youth Fellowships!

Through this application, you may apply to one or more of the following cohorts:

Brave Heart, California Native Youth Collective and/or Remembering our Sisters.

If you are not selected for the cohort indicated above & you are eligible for one of the other two cohorts, you can indicate on the application if you’d like to be considered for another cohort.

You can find more information about each fellowship and their eligibility requirements by reviewing our CNAY Fellowship Application FAQ or by visiting our website at CNAY.org.

This application includes 5 sections:

Demographic data
Two short essay questions
Optional uploads
Video submission response
Time commitment questions

Page 2

Applicant Profile

First Name

Last Name

Date of Birth

Pronouns

Current Address:

Street

City

State

Country

Zip Code

E-mail Address

Cell Phone Number

Tribal Affiliations

Social Media Tags

Please share a short bio about yourself (You may include where you are from, your tribal affiliation(s), education, accomplishments, past projects or experiences, and anything else that represents who you are)

Please upload a headshot (This photo will be used in our official press release. Your face should be clearly visible in a solo shot, but it does not need to be professionally taken)

Please indicate which cohort you are applying for:

Brave HeartRemembering Our SistersCalifornia Native Youth Collective

If you are not selected for the cohort indicated above & you are eligible for one of the other two cohorts, are you interested in being considered for those? (Please check the additional fellowships you’re interested in being considered for, if not selected for your first choice.)

Brave Heart

California Native Youth Collective

Remembering Our Sisters

Page 3

Personal Reflection Essays

These two questions are designed to help us learn more about you and your passion(s).

Each answer should be between 200-500 words. Please do not exceed 500 words.

How does your culture, identity or lived experience shape the way you lead and engage with others?

What does advocacy mean to you personally? How do you see yourself practicing advocacy in your daily life, and how might this fellowship strengthen your ability to advocate for your community?

Page 4

Optional Responses

Fellows selected for the CNAY 2026 Fellowship will receive a stipend to complete a project aligned with their cohort’s focus. In this section, you may choose to share additional information about yourself or an idea you have in mind for a project. Sharing is completely optional and is simply a way for us to get to know you better. (It will not count against you if you choose not to share additional information.)

Please share an idea for your fellowship project. (Please note that it is OK if your project idea changes.)

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you or your interest in the cohort you want to join?

Page 5

Video Responses

You are required to submit a video responding to the question for the cohort you are applying to. The video is an opportunity to showcase your passion and to pitch your story in a succinct format. We want you to share something about yourself with the evaluators in a way that is different from the written proposal format. This does not need to be a professionally produced video; a video shot on a smartphone is acceptable. In order to complete this part of your application, please upload a short digital film using YouTube. This will be viewed by application reviewers.

Video submissions should follow these guidelines or else it will render the registration ineligible:

A length of no more than 90 seconds.
Your video must be in English or subtitled in English, if in another language.
Your video must be captioned. See instructions on how to caption YouTube videos here.
Your video should not contain any images of individuals who have not given their permission to be part of the submission and should not contain images of children (under age 18) without express written parental consent.
Your video should be listed as Public or Unlisted – do not set it to Private, as it will then be unviewable.
Your video should not include any copyrighted material (including, but not limited to, music) for which you do not have a license.
Please review YouTube’s Terms of Service located here and any other applicable terms on YouTube’s website before making and submitting your video

Video Response: Please authentically and honestly answer the question below that corresponds to the cohort that you are applying for.

Brave Heart:

Describe a specific environmental or climate issue that is important to you. How does it affect your community?

California Native Youth Collective:

What is something you'd like to advocate for you in your community in California? How can this program help you?

Remembering our Sisters:

What does the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWGS2+) movement mean to you?

Tips for Recording Your Video:

Record in landscape (horizontal) mode.
Choose a well-lit location and avoid bright backgrounds or windows behind you.
Find a quiet space with minimal background noise.

Use a tripod or stable surface to keep your device steady while recording (if you can)

Paste the full YouTube URL in the box below.

Page 6

Time-Commitment:

Can you commit to meeting virtually once per month during the Fellowship?

YesNo

Do you foresee any barriers that might impact your participation in the fellowship? If so, how can we support you?

Page 7

Signatures

Applicant’s Electronic Signature: “I certify that all the information provided in this application is true, original and complete to the best of my knowledge.” Please type your full name below

I agree that the Aspen Institute can collect, process, and retain limited personal information for administrative purposes; and that the Institute can share this limited personal information with its trusted service providers for program administration purposes. I consent to receiving email communications from the Center for Native American Youth. I understand I can withdraw my consent at any time by contacting DataPrivacyLegal@aspeninstitute.org.

I agree to the Aspen Institute's Terms of Use Agreement and acknowledge that I have read and understand the Aspen Institute Privacy Policy which provides additional information about how the Institute processes personal information, as well as rights I may have regarding the personal information the Institute maintains about me.

I Agree

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