ZUNI, N.M. (Dec. 9, 2025) — This past year has not been an easy one for nonprofit organizations. As families pull back on charitable contributions and overall spending amid a challenging economic climate, some sources of government funding also have become uncertain.
But the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project team hasn’t let that uncertainty distract it from its core mission. Not only did the ZYEP team launch their annual year-end fundraising on Dec. 2, Giving Tuesday, they also doubled down on their day-to-day activities. According to Executive Director Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, this was largely due to the Zuni children who attend their programs.
“No matter what was happening on a national scale, our youth were still showing up to programs, still engaging in healthy activities, still connecting with each other, and still embracing our Zuni values,” she said. “We knew we needed to continue fostering meaningful experiences for them, and that helped keep our team on track during all this uncertainty.”
This year, more than 500 Zuni children played sports through ZYEP’s annual leagues in basketball, flag football, soccer, T-ball, and mini basketball; while Summer Camp and Wellness Week had 120 and 127 youth participants, respectively.
The Rooted in Healthy Traditions spring in-school program engaged 430 children while the Eat Smart to Play Hard fall in-school program engaged 523. Forty middle-schoolers participated in spring and fall elective classes, and the ZYEP arts department worked with 27 Emerging Artist Apprentices and three Advanced Artist Apprentices, with three more advanced students signing on for next year.
That’s not all. The nonprofit youth organization also hosted a spring session of Running Medicine Zuni for 79 registered community members, its food sovereignty department distributed garden kits to 100 Zuni families for the 2025 growing season, each installment of the 2025 Family Cook Nights Series is reaching up to 100 community members of all ages, and more than 650 people enjoyed the 2025 Delapna:we Project through two live performances and YouTube livestreams.
These numbers represent more than program outputs. They reflect the real relationships and vital resources and opportunities created by ZYEP staff and community partners.
“We aim to foster a welcoming, safe environment for Zuni youth and their families to explore opportunities like apprenticeships, field trips, theater projects, employment, sports, and school activities,” said Kandis Quam, ZYEP’s arts leader. “All of these are backed with a firm, culturally informed Zuni foundation. I want ZYEP to be a beacon for every Zuni youth to know they are safe and welcome, no matter how old they are.”
A parent named Paula observed that the youth project serves as a critical cornerstone for the community’s youth, providing positive connections, community engagement, safe spaces, and a pathway for young people to move forward and achieve their dreams.
Without ZYEP, she said, those dreams might never see the light of day.
“[Our children] are becoming more and more motivated to try new things, to reach higher, to embrace that each one of them is worthy of so much more in this life,” Paula shared. “Thank you, ZYEP, for putting our youth first.”
In recent years, ZYEP has witnessed many of its youth rise to become leaders within the very programs they attended as children while others find the organization as they are transitioning to adult life. These young adults now give back to their community as Summer Camp counselors, after-school program mentors, summer interns, and sports league coaches.
DeVon Bowekaty, 23, had dreamed of becoming a wildland firefighter. He applied to join the firefighter camp crew with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and was looking forward to a bright future.
“The following week, we got an email saying the the federal government ended funding for the program,” Bowekaty remembered. “I thought, what am I going to do?”
Then he saw an ad for ZYEP’s summer internships. He applied and was accepted to the program as an art intern, a position supported by the Zuni Education and Career Development Center.
“ZYEP put me out there with kids during Summer Camp,” he said. “Honestly, it really built me up—as a person and [in terms of] my skills around kids.”
At the end of the summer, the staff invited Bowekaty to continue working with them. He became a mentor in the Rooted in Healthy Traditions after-school program at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School this fall.
Bowekaty said he’s proud of the work. Growing up can be difficult, he acknowledged, and too many young people get involved with drugs and alcohol.
“We need a lot of people just uplifting one another,” he reflected. “At ZYEP, it’s positive and motivating. That’s honestly what we need. I’m just really glad I took that summer job. I love the vibes, and now I call ZYEP family.”
Natachu-Eriacho said this strength through unity reminds them all that resilience runs deep in their veins as Zuni people.
“Our ancestors passed on the strength we need to overcome these challenges, as they did in their time,” she said. “They united together and became unbreakable. So we are teaching our youth that we are stronger together, too.”
To support ZYEP’s year-end fundraising campaign, visit zyep.org/join-us/donate.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
