AIR

Mission

American Indian Recruitment promotes and aims to help American Indian and Alaska Native students get into college, while strengthening cultural ties and creates a cycle of learning which students return to their communities and meaningfully contribute to this process.

History

The American Indian Student Association (AISA) at UCLA initiated the American Indian Recruitment (AIR) Project in 1997 out of a general concern among American Indian students that not enough was being done to outreach to American Indian youth. AIR is the first student-run, student-initiated, and student-funded outreach program in the nation, with the goal of increasing admission of American Indian students in higher education and at UCLA. American Indian youth have one of the highest dropout rates, subsequently lowest graduation rates in the nation, and a suicide rate that is more than twice the national average. The AIR Project outreaches to American Indian students in Los Angeles County, Southern California reservations, and beyond in efforts to create awareness about the importance of higher education and resources for American Indians. Most importantly, because the Los Angeles area has the largest population of urban American Indians in the country, the AIR Project is in an advantageous position to outreach to these students and provide services that will encourage them to stay in school, graduate, and move on to college.

Philosophy

Beyond just being weekly tutors, we also provide academic advisement, mentorship, and cultural programming with regard to current and traditional American Indian needs. The AIR Project, believes in developing holistic self-determined students. Our pedagogic model also allows our staff and volunteers to develop skills they may not gain anywhere else with regards to the urban American Indian community of Los Angeles. These skills are then used to serve the community and to become participating members of the largest American Indian community in the nation.

Services

The AIR Project provides educational support services that help and encourage youth in the Los Angeles American Indian community (and beyond) become eligible for a post-secondary education.

1 Torres Martinez Tribal TANF Gardena:
1225 West 190th St., Gardena, CA 90248
Tuesdays 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

2 Joint TANF/Southern California Indian Center:
5771 Rickenbacker Road, Commerce, CA 90040
Wednesdays 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

3 Central High School:
1125 West 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90017
Fridays 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM 

Community College Component

The AIR community college component was created to provide community college students with AIR services that cater to the needs of the distinctive population of transfer students. We seek to provide community college students with guidance through our services to successfully transfer and continue their higher education. The CCC creates partnerships with other Community College Outreach Programs and Student Transfer programs on campus such as the Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP) and the Student Transfer Opportunities and Mentorship Program (STOMP) in order to provide American Indian students in surrounding community colleges with services such as conferences, workshops, summer programs, and useful literature pertaining to the transfer process.

Higher Education Awareness (HEA)

HEA provides useful college and financial aid information as well as e-mail or mail resources that you request to foster your journey to higher education. It is designed to target students who are outside the Los Angeles area and do not have as many resources / access to a UC school or higher education in general. AIR targets all students who are thinking of higher education after high school, whether it be a UC, California State, private school, or a community college. AIR currently provides services to American Indian students at Sherman Indian high School and American Indian Reservations in Southern California. AIR has extended its services to Native youth and communities on the San Manuel Indian Reservation, the Viejas Reservation, the Pala Reservation, and the Bishop Paiute Reservation.

Contact Information

Office: (310) 825-3844
Fax: (310) 206-3175
220 Westwood Plaza, Suite 105
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1454
Mail Code: 145406

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

AIR Staff