Only 1% of college students are Native American. The American Indian College Fund is helping to change that with its Native Pathways to College: Bridge Program, which will work with an estimated 300 high school students to increase their preparation for college.
Thanks to a tribal college in Montana, American Indian students with disabilities are benefiting from the enhanced teacher training. Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is designing and delivering professional development to 40 teachers, pre-service teachers, and educational professionals to enhance the health, wellness, and educational opportunities for American Indian (AI) children with and without disabilities and their families.
“The blanket tells of the Hopi nation and their sacred relationship with the ancient caretaker of the earth, Maasaw, and the respect of every gift given to them.” says designer Patty Orlando of creative agency Wieden+Kennedy. “The clay they and their ancestors have sourced from the land for centuries is treated with the utmost regard.
Internships are important help to students developing professionalism and an understanding of how to work in a professional environment. After having worked with Native student interns over the years in a professional capacity, I am sharing the following important insights for Native students when considering the importance of adding an internship to their college experience.
Schulte Cooke (Navajo Nation) a liberal arts &geospatial information technology major; Emery Sutherland (Navajo Nation) a computer aided design / drafting and network management major; Christian Martinez (Pueblo of Laguna) a network management major; Ty Shurley (Navajo Nation) a pre-engineering and computer aided design / drafting major and Nader Vadiee, Ph.D., SIPI engineering professor and the team’s faculty advisor for the SIPI-NASA I-CMARS Program pose with the trophy and prize.
TCU Professor Dr. Danielle Lansing, a faculty member in Early Childhood Education at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), a tribal college and university (TCU) participant in the American Indian College Fund’s Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” early childhood initiative.
Only 13.8% of American Indians have a college degree. The American Indian College Fund is changing that. American Indian students know an education will change their lives and communities by giving them knowledge and confidence to defend their rights and amplify their voices, as demonstrated in the recent Standing Rock protests.
The American Indian College Fund has received a $1 million grant to continue its Restoration and Preservation of Traditional Native Art Forms and Knowledge program at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). The program is expanding knowledge and skills at these institutions across the country while also placing endangered art forms at the center of its focus.
The Republicans failed at their attempt to rewrite the Affordable Care Act. That’s good for Indian Country. But health care in Indian Country could get even better. And better health care for Native Americans translates to a healthier economic and educational outlook.
The American Indian College Fund joined national industry leaders to educate and empower business leaders about expanding diversity in the workforce. Native American students have unique perspectives to offer employers and their voices and perspectives helps strengthen the quality of American commerce.
