MISSION To provide positive youth development programming through educational, health & wellness and youth leadership components in partnership with Native American communities and organizations.
Southwest Youth Services (SYS) is a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2004 by Alec Rekow and four founding board members: Kara Bobroff, Ezra Bayles, Clayton Small and Marie Valdez. Since 2004, SYS has utilized the great game of soccer as its venue to grow grassroot partnerships and programming in Native communities. SYS has partnered with 42 Native American communities and organizations across the U.S. and Canada promoting its mission and vision. Though collaborative partnerships, Native American communities identify which SYS programming they wish to introduce to their people. All SYS programming is combined with positive youth development training and tailored to fit each community’s need. Over the years, SYS programming has been introduced to thousands of Native children and adults, and many more were introduce to the game of soccer. The long term vision of SYS is to promote healthy lifestyles, resiliency, higher education and youth leadership skills for all Native youth. SYS truly believes that Native youth are our most valuable community resources and when empowered, they bring about powerful social change among their peers and within their own communities. It is through SYS programming that we hope to offset the harsh statistics of suicide, high school dropout rates, obesity, and drug & alcohol abuse that stand against Native communities and our most precious youth.
     
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