Wakanyeja
Early Childhood Education Initiative
About The Program
The American Indian College Fund, through the Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” – Tribal College Readiness and Success by Third Grade, is working to bring together tribal colleges, communities, educators, and families to address early learning disparities in Native communities. The initiative addresses the following five domains:
- Improve cognitive and non-cognitive skill acquisition among American Indian children
- Improve early childhood teacher education quality in Native communities by partnering with post-secondary teacher education programs at tribal colleges
- Bridge early childhood education Pre-K transition to K-3 schooling
- Integrate Native language(s) and culture(s) into curriculum development and instruction for teacher preparation programming, early childhood education centers, and K-3 settings
- Empower families and communities to act as agents of change in education for their children
Location
In 2011, four tribal colleges were selected through a competitive process to participate in the Wakanyeja ECE Initiative and received up to $935,000 over four years to develop and strengthen early childhood education programs at tribal colleges.
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Tribal College and University Early Childhood Education Initiatives: Strengthening Systems of Care and Learning with Native Communities from Birth to Career.
TCU Early Childhood Education Initiatives
For the Wisdom of the Children:
Strengthening the Teacher of Color Pipeline
Restorative Teachings Early
Childhood Education Initiative
Cultivating Lakota Early
Childhood Learning Opportunities
Ké’ Early Childhood Education
Family Engagement Initiative
Wakanyeja – Early Childhood
Education Initiative
