It’s like providing a seedling with a plot of soil, nourishing water, and a ray of sunshine, allowing it to flourish into a mighty tree. MLCV is a diverse corporation with stakes in mutually beneficial business areas, including Gaming, Hospitality, Tribal Economy Investments, and Government Contracting. Yet our community engagement efforts awaken the idyllic outcomes of symbiotic relationships. A beautiful example of this is our Junior Ambassador Program, built on our commitment to fostering youth development. In this blog post, we will introduce you to the program and explore its impact.

MLCV’s Connection to the Junior Ambassador Program

Arthur Gahbow Image — Arthur Gahbow art image

MLCV and its subsidiaries hold their community engagement endeavors close to their hearts. It’s an area of work that infuses vitality into the company’s goals of building robust local connections and serving others. The Junior Ambassador Program was built on this same premise, with the backbone of the wisdom of Arthur Gahbow. Art, former Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band for 20 years, knew that the future begins with our Elders, and ends with and depends on our youth. His vision of mentoring individuals promptly in childhood with the tools to gain knowledge and further develop the Mille Lacs Band and surrounding community is not lost. The Junior Ambassador initiative shows our dedication to youth empowerment while staying true to our Elders’ wishes, just as Art taught us.

Understanding the Junior Ambassador Program + Unveiling Opportunities

The mission of the Junior Ambassador Program is to develop Mille Lacs Band Member young adults. Upon its completion, the hope is that the students sprint into the community with stronger skillsets, deeper relationships, readiness to tackle their academic and professional future, and a better understanding of job possibilities within the Mille Lacs Tribal Economy. Its objectives for each participant include:

- A structured and paid working position.

- Unique team building and training experiences.

- Advisership guidance.

The program operates from our subsidiary gaming properties, Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. Yearly in June, since its 2021 launch, around 30 Junior Ambassadors are hired by each property’s Junior Ambassador advisor for a summer-long role.

Ambassadors often come from area schools such as Nay-Ah-Shing and Hinckley, but anyone can apply, even non-Mille Lacs Band members or those from non-Tribal backgrounds. This open-door policy practices the inclusion we so highly believe in — resulting in learning from others and illustrating that anyone can work for MLCV or within the Tribal Economy.

While the undertakings may be similar to an internship, it’s designed specifically for those under 18. With this, there is an emphasis on accommodating schedules and flexibility, ensuring that school and extracurricular activities always come first. Complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Gaming Regulatory Authority, recruitment works to incorporate the enrollee’s desired area of work with their placement, opening the door to an array of opportunities.

Hands-on Experience: Exploring MLCV Businesses

The experiential learning adventure begins on day one. Participants find themselves settling into roles and being a crucial part of various areas of MLCV operations.

Grand Casino Mille Lacs Grand Casino Hinckley

- Marketing - Housekeeping

- Food & Beverage - Marketing

- Money Handling - Food & Beverage

- IT - Grand National Golf Club

- Talent Band Member Development - Outside Ground Maintenance

- Grand Makwa Cinema - RV Park Pool

- Grand Market

- Big Sandy

Some have had the chance to extend their responsibilities into the fall while maintaining good standing with their schooling. And some may go on to be interns within the MLCV portfolio, like a current recruitment effort in a Talent internship. Of course, there’s always the aspiration that we may hire many as full-time Associates upon the return of their educational journeys.

These experiences have given the Ambassador insights into what a significant enterprise entails and how it performs. One that not everyone may be as lucky to be a part of. An organization that is not just aware of its impacts but makes business decisions with those impacts top of mind. A people-driven organization that strengthens vulnerable lives.

You can’t find that everywhere. And those insights each young adult walks away with are held on a little tighter and a little longer.

Building Skills and Creating Leaders

Throughout the student’s tenure, learning extends beyond on-the-job tasks. The program offers an assortment of workshops and skill and team-building activities. For instance, Mille Lacs hosts Tuesday Trainings, where sessions are tailored based on exit surveys from the year prior and conversations with current-year youth. In 2022, the area of focus was communication. Lana Oswaldson, a Mille Lacs Junior Ambassador advisor, shares the tangible effect she witnessed, “The room started out so quiet, and by the end, it was like, Ok, everybody, simmer down. Everyone found their voice, and there was so much engagement. It was so heartwarming to see.”

These profound moments come alive at Hinckley, too. Last year, Bonnie Matrious, a Hinckley Ambassador advisor, scheduled Training Track Thursdays, where company-wide Developmental Directors visit for a take on informational interviews. The interactions lead to finding areas of passion, discovering role models, and building relationships that may serve Ambassadors for years to come.

Setting these growing individuals up for success is the most critical curriculum in the process. While participants gain ongoing takeaways, an inclusion at the Hinckley property called the Aanjii program catapults them into a place of security. The service gifts the Tribal member youth financial assistance for gas, meals, and work uniforms so they can put their best foot forward and feel the confidence to get the most out of each workday.

Community Engagement and Beyond

The outcomes of the Junior Ambassador Program are designed to align thoughtfully with the needs of the students. From nurturing professional development to enhancing personal well-being, the benefits are certainly substantial. But what differentiates is the alignment to MLCV’s broader community engagement and development goals. The impact consistently highlights the interconnectedness between individuals and the larger community.

The program actively expands the local workforce and broadens the potential for recruitment each year, opening possibilities for the economy's success. Meanwhile, future Tribal community leaders are being cultivated, creating icons for up-and-coming generations and building a place where cultures thrive and our purposeful work lives on.

It’s clear our organization and neighbors benefit from employing Junior Ambassadors, but there’s no reason not to showcase the smaller-scale effects that can be just as meaningful. Bonnie speaks of a noteworthy example, “I once had a boy come up to me, and he made me cry. He said, I want to tell you that I’m grateful for the opportunity you gave me to work this summer and learn, and I hope I made you proud.” It’s occasions like this that remind the advisors of the influence their mentees have on them, too.

2023 Junior Ambassador Program + Looking Ahead

The 2023 Junior Ambassador Program kicked off in June. 30 Ambassadors signed on at Mille Lacs, while 15 joined at Hinckley. Positions ranging from hotel grounds to marketing have been filled. This year’s available training dates include a first-ever leadership day camp, resume building, interview skills, and more.

With the Ambassador’s fair share of hard work, it’s not forgotten by their leadership that at the end of the day, they are still kids on a summer break — and deserve plenty of outlets for fun too. Each property invites participants for a get-together with their peers featuring a classic BBQ.

As facilitators look ahead, there are aims to hire enterprise-wide, letting those one-of-a-kind learning narratives grow.

Conclusion

The Junior Ambassador initiative is a collective experience meant to empower and foster the development of young adults in the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the surrounding community. The participants absorb impressions that prepare them for their educational and professional careers, and they grace society with the promise of future leadership. With the tools of unbiased support, real-world fieldwork, and skill-building classes, youth flourish. And we can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

This article was written by Hannah Torkelson, MLCV’s Senior Communications Strategist. Hannah is a storyteller and is responsible for capturing great moments within MLCV’s portfolio.