AlterNATIVE started with ideas around how to address the lack of dialogue and education surrounding Native American histories, sovereignties, and possibilities in high school classrooms (Native American classrooms, yes, but also classrooms all over the country).

Columbia students and faculty worked to develop a program that could foster discussion around Native issues among youth, educators, and communities nationwide who all share the goal of forming a more engaged, empowered, and education-centered Native future.

AlterNATIVE's mission is to: engage students with Native histories, Native governments, Native arts and Native current events, topics that are not talked about often enough in the classroom; empower Native students as community members, as individuals, as agents of change; encourage Native students to seriously consider pursuing higher education.

AlterNATIVE facilitates a week-long Native Studies curriculum to Native American communities targeted at high school students. Members share their knowledge and experiences as college students and, with the students sharing their personal experiences and that of their communities, they work together to strengthen their respective Native nations.

AlterNATIVE Team Members:

Danielle Lucero (CC)	Noah Ramage (CC)
Braudie Blais-Billie (CC)	Michelle Crowfeather (CC)
Sarah Stern (CC)	Kyle Sebastian (CC)
Megan Baker (CC)	Fantasia Painter (Alum)
Christian White (CC)	Marial Quezada (Alum)

AlterNATIVE has been featured on NBC News and Columbia College Today.