A new youth wellness initiative is taking root in the Warm Springs community, bringing together fitness, mentorship, and health education in a program designed to combat diabetes and build the next generation of community leaders.
Warm Springs Diabetes Prevention has announced the launch of Warm Springs STRONG, a program aimed at empowering young people in the tribe to build lasting healthy habits that strengthen the body, mind, and spirit.
What the Program Offers
Warm Springs STRONG is structured around team challenges, health education, and peer mentorship. The program is designed not just to encourage physical activity, but to foster a sense of community identity and responsibility among youth.
Organizers are specifically recruiting high school athletes who want to develop their leadership skills by serving as coaches and mentors to younger participants. This peer-to-peer model mirrors successful youth wellness programs nationally and is well-suited to a close-knit community like Warm Springs, where relationships and role models matter deeply.
Why This Matters
Diabetes and pre-diabetes disproportionately affect Native American communities across the country. In Warm Springs, health officials and community members have long recognized the need for culturally grounded prevention efforts that go beyond clinical interventions to address lifestyle, community connection, and youth engagement.
Programs like Warm Springs STRONG represent the kind of homegrown, community-driven approach that has proven most effective in Native communities — rooted in local relationships and led by people who live and belong in the community.
How to Get Involved
Young people looking to participate or high school athletes interested in becoming mentors can contact the Warm Springs Diabetes Prevention program directly. Program coordinator Austin Rauschenburg can be reached by email at austin.rauschenburg@wstribes.org.
The program is open to Warm Springs youth, and organizers encourage families to reach out for more information about session schedules and locations.