Interior expands Native youth training program to prepare students for wildland firefighting careers

• TrueMultiple tribal schools are participating in the Native Youth Firefighter Training Program
• GoalOfficials say they are exploring a dual-enrollment option with Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Key takeaways

• The Department of the Interior announced a partnership between the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to expand the Native Youth Firefighter Training Program.
• The program provides high school and post-secondary Native students with hands-on instruction, mentorship and technical training to prepare them for seasonal and permanent wildland firefighting positions with tribal, federal and state agencies.
• Schools currently participating include Pine Ridge School, Cheyenne Eagle Butte School, St. Francis Indian School (South Dakota), Two Eagle River School (Montana), Northwest High School (New Mexico), and Sequoyah High School (Oklahoma); officials are exploring dual enrollment with Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (New Mexico).
• BIE schools and colleges provide daily oversight and student support; BIA fire training staff lead virtual instruction and mentorship using the Wildland Fire Learning Portal and other web-based tools.
• Interior leadership framed the program as supporting tribal communities, workforce development and administration priorities to strengthen public safety and create career pathways.

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