About Us
Founded in 2022, Tribal Youth Empowerment Corporation (TYEC), previously the Indigenous Empowerment Corporation (IEC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing Native Americans and other Indigenous people with the tools they need to succeed in school, at work, and in the community. We offer workforce development education, free tax services (VITA), financial literacy education and empowerment, life skills training, and comprehensive support systems.
The initial concept for TYEC was born prior to the COVID-19 pandemic while founder and Executive Director, Ms. Reyna Symonds, was providing free tax assistance at The Eastern Indigenous Research Institute Non-Profit Corporation (EIRINC). EIRINC was created in 2020 and provides Native Americans with a safe and caring environment where they can receive life skills, tutoring, and supportive family services. Ms. Symonds quickly recognized that offering free tax assistance to only Native American adults was not enough to make a true impact on the entire Indigenous community. In order to better customize the types of services being offered and to expand our outreach in the community, Ms. Symonds created the Tribal Youth Empowerment Corporation (TYEC) in the Fall of 2022 with the goals of...
1) enhancing the types of services available to support the indigenous community, and
2) being inclusive of all indigenous persons, not just Native Americans.
We aim to address the overall needs of the individuals we serve by offering life skills training and education to achieve success
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Our Mission
TYEC provides Native Americans and other indigenous people with the culturally appropriate tools they need to succeed in school, at work, and in the community.
Our Vision
TYEC envisions a community where all families earn livable wages and have access to the resources they need to achieve long-term financial security.