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Uqautchim Uglua at Ilisagvik College
Ilisagvik College’s Uqautchim Uglua, or ‘language nest’ program, celebrated important milestones in 2012. The school introduced an Iñupiaq Early Learning Associate of Arts degree to meet the college’s goal to increase the number of indigenous certified teachers on the North Slope. This degree offers a holistic approach designed to support Native students in their learning experiences, has a traditional Iñupiaq emphasis, and meets accreditation requirements.
Croff: Look Up, Smile
When many American Indian students study at mainstream institutions, they experience culture shock. For many, it is the first time away from a close-knit community. For others, it is their first experience away from the reservation. Transitioning to a life on a large campus can feel alienating and unwelcoming. Iva, a member of the Blackfeet nation who had lived in the reservation her whole life and a graduate of Blackfeet Community College in Montana
Northwest Area Foundation Grants $1 Million for Tribal College Leaders in Innovation Project
The St. Paul, Minnesota-based Northwest Area Foundation has made a two-year, $1 million grant to the American Indian College Fund for the Tribal College Leaders in Community Innovation Project. This competitive awards program will honor five tribal colleges conducting programs contributing to vibrant and healthy communities. The award areas will focus on children and families; health and wellness; financial literacy and entrepreneurship; or citizenship.
Program supported to build and strengthen Iñupiaq language
Ilisagvik College President Pearl Brower was presented with a Proclamation of Support for the Uqautchim Uglua (language nest) Program by Alaska’s North Slope Bureau Mayor Charlotte Brower. It will provide an additional $153,000 in funding for the program, which is also a participant in the American Indian College Fund’s Sacred Little Ones program, funded by the Kellogg Foundation.
Holiday Memories
For most of America, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are memory-filled and memory-making annual events with families coming together to acknowledge blessings. America continues to be the place that others want to be or to live. While the commercialization of these significant holidays sometimes obscures the ‘original’ intent for the designations, I believe that most people are good and that we are a grateful people who do practice some form of spiritual or religious belief that advocates compassion and generosity.
Native Charities and Winter Giving
In November I had the opportunity to attend my first professional gathering as the new President of the American Indian College Fund. Combined with my attendance at my first meeting of the Board of the Native Ways Federation during the annual National Congress of American Indian conference in October, this event helped me understand the importance of charitable standards of performance for organizations that are raising money in Indian country.
The Estée Lauder Companies Awards $11,000 to American Indian College Fund for Scholarships
The Estée Lauder Tribal Scholars Program has granted the American Indian College Fund $11,000 to provide 10 scholarships to American Indian students studying marketing, business, environmental science, or a related field at a tribal college in Minnesota.
Diane Buck and Grace Gillette honored as Elders of the Year
For the twelfth straight year, the American Indian College Fund hosted its annual holiday dinner for American Indian elders. Three-hundred elders from an array of tribes gathered at the Church of All Saints at 2559 S. Federal Blvd. in Denver to enjoy a feast of buffalo, other treats, and American Indian entertainment.
Twelve Years of Honoring the Denver Elders
For the twelfth straight year, the American Indian College Fund hosted its annual holiday dinner for American Indian elders. Three-hundred elders from an array of tribes gathered at the Church of All Saints at 2559 S. Federal Blvd. in Denver to enjoy a feast of buffalo, other treats, and American Indian entertainment. Diane Buck and Grace Gillette were honored as Elders of the Year for founding the Denver March Powwow.
It’s National Influenza Vaccination Week
Did you know American Indians and Alaska Natives are up to four times more likely than the general U.S. population to die from pneumonia and other influenza-related conditions? Even healthy college students like you can get the flu, and it can be serious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year.
