Southwest Tribes Gather to Put Water First!

Building on nearly a year of community listening and behavior assessment in tribal communities the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation’s Water First! Learning Community cohort met for the fourth time last fall to share action plans to reduce sugary drink intake and increase safe drinking water consumption and/or promote breastfeeding.

The NB3 Foundation has awarded grants to eight tribes and Native-led organizations in Arizona and New Mexico. Each grant provides financial support and regular cohort meetings, which are intended to provide a learning community that allows grantees to support each project with feedback and resources.

The grantees focused on brainstorming and sharing ideas on their respective projects during the Arizona meeting. Grantees shared plans to install hydration stations in schools and parks, develop and disseminate culturally-relevant educational materials, engage youth as water champions, and more. Click to read about all the projects. The cohort will meet again in February during the Healthy Beverage Summit.

The NB3 Foundation is a national, award-winning Native American nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing Native American childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. The NB3 Foundation invests in evidence-based, community-driven and culturally relevant programs that promote health, physical activity and nutrition, ensuring healthy futures for Native American children and their communities. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that all Native American youth live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives. The NB3 Foundation and Water First! grant recipient COPE are both allies of the National Drinking Water Alliance.