Balance and Belonging: Empowerment Economics and Community Development at NAYA is the third in our series of Empowerment Economics case studies in partnership with the Institute for Economics and Racial Equity (IERE) at Brandeis University. This case study investigates Native American Youth and Family Center‘s (NAYA) approach to community development and asset-building through their Individual Development Account (IDA) program.
Empowerment Economics is a wealth and power building approach developed for low-income Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) and other communities of color. This case study is different from the other 2 case studies as it follows a non-AA and NHPI-serving organization which illustrates the relevance of Empowerment Economics in other communities of color.
NAYA’s mission is to enhance the diverse strengths of Native youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education. Each of the six core elements of Empowerment Economics are reflected in the IDA program, indicating how closely aligned Empowerment Economics is with NAYA’s approach to community development.
Read the full report here.
Click the links below for our other case studies in the series.