SIPI Students Gain Valuable Skills as Early Childhood Education Interns

By Blossom Tsosie, SIPI Early Childhood Education student, and Danielle Lansing, SIPI Early Childhood Education faculty

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), a continued recipient of the American Indian College Fund’s Indigenous Early Childhood-funded initiatives, has had great success with student interns. Hosting interns has enabled SIPI to offer promising students practical community-based experiences that support the development of professional dispositions in early childhood education, with an emphasis on Indigenous education. SIPI’s campus lab school setting offers ample opportunities to work with Albuquerque’s urban Native community, including families. During the 2025-26 academic year, SIPI hosted a student intern. In the following narrative,

SIPI’s student intern provides a personal perspective on the benefits of the position:

My name is Blossom Tsosie, and I am from Kinlichee, Arizona, a small community located on the Navajo Reservation. I attend SIPI, where I am pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). After graduating high school in 2022, I felt uncertain about my future. At first, I chose ECE thinking it was an easy path, but I soon realized it was much more than that.

Being in the ECE program has transformed me in countless ways. My instructors have been incredibly supportive every step of the way. They constantly encourage me and believe in my abilities, even when I doubt myself. Fortunately, they offered me a two-semester internship through the College Fund’s Ihduwiyayapi grant. Thanks to SIPI staff’s guidance and the opportunities and scholarships from the College Fund, my grades have risen dramatically. My Fall 2025 semester GPA reached a perfect 4.0. I look up to my instructors, and I listen eagerly to their career stories. They motivate me to reach their level of knowledge and confidence.

I genuinely enjoy my internship. Between helping set up events and working closely with my instructors, I have been able to reflect on my growth as an intern and learn to be a better educator. Thanks to the grant, our ECE program hosts many hands-on events at the SIPI Early Childhood Learning Center on campus. During a recent event, we made fresh tortillas. A few parents joined us, and I showed the children how I make tortillas at home using simple ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and warm water. After the demonstration, I let them jump in and use their hands to feel the dough and shape their own tortilla. They loved being part of the process.

This activity wasn’t just about making tortillas. It was about reinforcing our culture in a real, everyday way through hands-on learning experiences. Moments like these help our children feel seen and connected to their heritage. Every day I’m reminded why this work matters for our children, our families, and our communities.

Being an intern is a comprehensive community-based experience that includes close mentorship from SIPI ECE faculty. This interdisciplinary approach provides students the opportunity to apply early learning theories and culturally sustaining pedagogies. SIPI looks forward to hosting more interns in year three of its grant.