Celebrate Native Teachers!

May 7, 2024 | Blog, Featured Post, Inside the College Fund

Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-10

Increasing the numbers of Native teachers in classrooms improves educational opportunities for Native students and supports them in reaching their full potential. Yet K-12 public school teachers are less racially and ethnically diverse as a group than their students. Although there have been increases in the numbers of teachers of color, growth has not kept pace with the rapid growth in students’ racial and ethnic diversity nationwide.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows public school teachers are on average 27 percent more likely to be white than their students, yet numerous studies show the benefit of having teachers of color in the classroom.

Teachers of color boost the academic performance of students of color and ALL students report having more positive perceptions of their teachers of color.

The American Indian College Fund provides the next generation of Native teachers with the support they need—financial and otherwise—to succeed in their important education careers, while also supporting tribal colleges and universities with teacher education programs to provide them with a quality education. Together we are working to ensure Native voices and perspectives are seen and heard in the classroom—and Native students have the support to succeed.

Recent Blog Posts

American Indian College Fund Publishes Eighth Volume of The Tribal College and University Research Journal:

American Indian College Fund Publishes Eighth Volume of The Tribal College and University Research Journal:

The American Indian College Fund, with generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, published volume 8 of the Tribal College and University Research Journal. This one-of-a-kind publication was first launched in 2016 and supports tribal college and university (TCU) faculty in disseminating their academic work to Indigenous communities and the wider research community.

Defy the Storm: American Indian College Fund’s New PSA Addresses Challenges Indigenous Students and Communities Face with Funding Cuts

Defy the Storm: American Indian College Fund’s New PSA Addresses Challenges Indigenous Students and Communities Face with Funding Cuts

A “storm” of activity is coming from Washington in the form of funding cuts and executive orders, upending the lives of Native American communities and students; jeopardizing access to the funding, education and opportunity that helped create progress for decades to ensure the success of tribal nations, communities, and people.