Giving Compass' Take:

•  Dr. Billie Jo Kipp, associate director of research and evaluation at the Institute’s Center for Native American Youth, shares the difficulties facing Indigenous children and their mental health during the pandemic. 

• How can donors alleviate some pain points for these communities who already face significant barriers to health? 

• Read about Native American communities battling coronavirus. 

As the school year begins in the pandemic, the equity gap is widening, a problem particularly apparent on reservations. Dr. Billie Jo Kipp is the associate director of research and evaluation at the Institute’s Center for Native American Youth, where she advocates for better school structures, community coordination, and overall policies to improve the lives of Native youth. In this series of videos, she talks about the impact of the pandemic on these communities—as well as the opportunity for change moving forward.

More than one in three Native children live in poverty, according to the most recent census. Health disparities and an economic divide amplify the equity gap for young people (read more fast facts from CNAY here). All these challenges lead to an increase in depression and anxiety for children. Dr. Kipp describes how the school system and the broader community are critical supports for students—and how that is at even greater risk due to the pandemic.

Read the full article about how the pandemic widens gaps in Native communities at The Aspen Institute.