b'News Flash! Collective Wisdom: Highlights from the 2024 OJJDP Tribal Youth ProgramMidwest RegionalStaff from the Tribal Youth ResourceCenter excitedly awaited participantsarrival on August 13. After attendeessettled in with their cups of coffee, theevent began with a traditional openingfrom Austin Owen (Dakota/Hopi, TintaWita-Prairie Island Dakota Community),followed by a meaningful opening fromOJJDP staff Leanetta Jessie (DeputyAssociate Administrator) and JazmoneFrom August 13-15, 2024, the Tribal Youth Wilkerson (Program Manager), YouthResource Center hosted the 2024 OJJDP Justice and System Innovation Division,Tribal Youth Program Midwest Regional and words of encouragement from Sydneymeeting. The event took place on the Matheson (Colville Confederated Tribes),traditional lands of the Dakota people at Young Leader Mentor at the Tribal Youththe Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Resource Center. Community-owned JW MarriottMinneapolis Mall of America, a hotel with adoor directly into the Mall of America (the Check Out Our Links!largest mall in the country)! Communitiesfrom the Midwest and beyond traveled to Click on the links embedded in this article to viewjoin the event from across 28 programs PPTs from the Regional and more! All resources(including Tribal Youth Programs and from the Regional are also linked on the pageYouth Healing to Wellness Courts), in following the article.addition to Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention (OJJDP) staff,Tribal Youth Resource Center (TYRC) staffand consultants, and local Native vendors,musical artists, and community leaders. Allparticipants came together to learncollaboratively with session facilitators,share collective wisdom, and build andstrengthen connections. 18'