OUR MISSION
We Are Healers inspires American Indian youth to see themselves as future healers through the stories of American Indian role-models. To this end, we endorse healthy, active lifestyles and encourage youth to harness the strength of their tribal healing tradition as they explore educational opportunities.
OUR CORE VALUES & KEY STRATEGIES
We INSPIRE Native youth to pursue health careers and to achieve their greatest potential
We ADVISE health profession schools and programs on best practices to recruit and retain Native students
We CONNECT Native youth to enrichment opportunities to achieve their health career aspirations
Since 1980 every minority group has seen increases in students attending medical school, except for Native Americans.
As of 2022, only 0.17% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives were MD-granting medical school matriculants.
We Are Healers aims to change this by inspiring Native youth to pursue careers in health care, connecting them to resources, and advising health professional schools and programs on how to recruit and retain Native students.
DIRECT IMPACT
As the only national nonprofit with our logic model, from late 2022 to the end of 2023, we will have mobilized over $150,000 in educational and workforce development opportunities for AI/AN health students.
In under one year, we have grown our Healing Circle Cohort (HCC) from 4 AI/AN health students to 10, ages 18-30
High School Seniors to Residents—an additional 33 HCC applicants are receiving mentorship, wellness trainings, and roundtable discussions to mitigate loss of follow-up, cultural disconnect, and further perpetuation of harmful health outcomes.
Through this initiative we have witnessed an increase in AI/AN students enrolling in health-related educational programs that follow non-traditional and traditional pathways to achieve their dreams.