About

Our Land, Our Education, Our Health (OLEH) is a free, two-week paid residential summer program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, running July 5–18, 2026, designed specifically for Native American high school students from Arizona tribes. Established in 2019 through a partnership between the Tohono O'odham Nation One Stop program and the UA Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC), OLEH was built around a recognized need: to give tribal high school students an opportunity to explore environmental health careers through a culturally responsive Indigenous lens while building genuine familiarity and belonging on a major university campus.

The two weeks are structured in complementary phases. The first week introduces students to the University of Arizona — campus resources, environmental health professionals, STEM activities, and professional skill development. The second week pivots to research fundamentals: students learn grant proposal writing and develop a hypothetical research project designed to address a local environmental health concern in their home community. Housing, meals, and a stipend are provided. The program culminates in an OLEH Scholar Showcase where students present their work. Eligibility requires current high school enrollment, ages 14–17, enrollment in an Arizona-based tribe, and enrollment in that tribe's WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) program.

For an eligible Arizona tribal student, OLEH offers a rare combination: paid residential access to a major research university, grounding in environmental health science applied directly to community needs, and a cohort of peers navigating a similar cultural pathway.