Ichigo Foundation Awards American Indian College Fund Adult Education Program
Gift Will Support Justice System-Impacted Native Americans Pursuing High School Equivalency
Denver, Colo., February 26, 2026 — The Ichigo Foundation has gifted the American Indian College Fund a $100,000 award to support the Wounspe E’cetkiya O’takuye Piya A’yazunta Pi (Reconnecting Relatives to Education) Program over the next two years. The program, one of several pre-college adult education pathways at the College Fund, provides resources for American Indians who have had encounters with the justice system, helping them to complete their high school equivalency (HSE) as a first step towards a better future. This gift from the Ichigo Foundation will support the growth of the program.
This work is done in partnership with Sinte Gleska University (SGU), which provides HSE services to individuals incarcerated at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility as part of its broader adult education programming. SGU recently expanded its work at the facility to include regular weekly HSE tutoring and instruction.
The funding will be used to cover such costs including salary and mileage for traveling tutors, educational supplies, staff training, reentry preparation, college and career readiness, and more.
SGU celebrated its first four graduates from this program in 2025, and with this new gift the College Fund hopes to strengthen this partnership and explore other program and learning opportunities in this area.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
About the Ichigo Foundation – The Ichigo Foundation focuses its support on organizations providing access to and success in higher education and other post-secondary endeavors for first-generation and low-income students, including incarcerated learners. We believe in opportunity, justice, and inclusion, and partner with institutions that support young people to pursue productive and fulfilling lives.https://ichigofoundation.org/
Journalists — The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
