The Center for Native American Youth is launching a new "Champions for Change" initiative today.

The program is a spin-off of a White House initiative. The goal is to recognize American Indian and Alaska Native youth who are making a difference in their communities.

"I have met remarkable young Native Americans in Indian Country and the Champions for Change program will allow us to celebrate the work they are doing to make a positive difference in the lives of others," said former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), who founded the center after he retired from the Senate.

"Native American youth are doing inspiring things and setting positive examples for others to follow. At the Center for Native American Youth, we want to engage and encourage these young leaders," said Dorgan.

The announcement is being made at an event in Washington, D.C., that will include Patty Talahongva, a center board member and journalist; Teressa "Tessa" Baldwin, a youth from Alaska Native who founded Hope4Alaska; and WhiteSun Yazzie, the student council president at the Pine Hill High School on the Ramah Navajo Reservation.