Sempra Energy has donated $20,000 to the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) to establish the Sempra Energy Tribal Scholarship Program. The grant will support scholarships for American Indian students pursuing degrees in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs at tribal colleges and universities in the Southwestern United States. Students studying engineering and mathematics will receive funding preference.
Blog Blogs
Idle No More Brings Native Voices, Tribal Education to the Forefront
Like many Natives and our allies across our Grandmother Earth, Unci Maka, I have joined the Idle No More movement, attending round dance gatherings, praying for Chief Theresa Spence and her supporters, sharing the stories I hear and read and perusing news and opinion pieces.
Retired NBA Coach Phil Jackson Sponsors Campaign for One Lucky Donor to Spend Day with Him
Phil Jackson sponsors fundraising campaign to raise money for Native scholarships to benefit the Fund–and one lucky donor will get to meet him April 12. The campaign is currently slated to end in March, with a winner being chosen March 27. Airfare and hotel are included in the trip. Donations are not required to enter for a chance to meet Mr. Jackson.
Protect the Circle of Life: Please Get a Flu Vaccine
The flu season this year started early and is hitting the U.S. hard. American Indians and Alaska Natives, including college students, are at high risk for getting the flu and developing serious complications. The time is now for people to benefit from getting the vaccine.
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.
