Scholarly Emergence for

Environmental Design and Stewardship (SEEDS)

Program Details

Groundwater pollution. Overgrazing. Hazardous waste. These are just a few of the environmental issues facing American Indian reservation communities that impact health and quality of life.

The American Indian College Fund will address these issues with a three-year, $1.35 million Scholarly Emergence for Environmental Design and Stewardship (SEEDS) program at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

The Scholarly Emergence for Environmental Design and Stewardship (SEEDS) program will build program, faculty, and institutional capacity at tribal colleges and universities to strengthen and expand curriculum, faculty development, degree programs, and student success in the field of environmental sciences and related fields. The program will integrate place-based and inter-generational knowledge exchange.

TCUs are higher education centers located in the American Indian nations they serve with the potential to develop tribal environmental leaders in sustainability initiatives by offering academic preparation, research opportunities, and career work experiences. Educated and trained experts will address the environmental issues American Indian communities face through initiatives grounded in research and data.

The SEEDS program will support TCUs located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the grasslands region of Montana (click to enlarge map)

The SEEDS program will support TCUs located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the grasslands region of Montana (click to enlarge map)

Project Gallery

Grantees

Aaniiih Nakoda College

College of Menominee Nation

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Leech Lake Tribal College

Little Big Horn College

Red Lake Nation College

Sisseton Wahpeton College

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College

Environmental Stewardship Initiatives

Scholarly Emergence for Environmental Design and Stewardship (SEEDS)

Program Details

Our Programs

Early Childhood Education

Connecting TCUs and our earliest learners, we support the creation and development of early childhood education from within Native communities — strengthening Native families’ roles as advocates and partners in their children’s education, and creating collaborations between early learning centers and community partners.
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Native Culture and Language Preservation

Strong Native communities are built on tribal languages, cultural knowledge, and traditional arts. With many communities facing the risk of loss of language, culture, and traditional arts, we provide grants and support for communities to restore, sustain, and pass on traditional knowledge.
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Environmental Stewardship

The College Fund invests in the TCUs that are engaged in strengthening their environmental science opportunities for students. It provides support for TCUs that are working with Native communities to develop and implement research initiatives and innovative collaborations.
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Indigenous Visionaries

By connecting Native women students at TCUs with faculty within their academic disciplines, and providing support for strong mentoring relationships, the College Fund is helping to develop the next generation of Native leadership in early childhood education, environmental science, and traditional Native arts.
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Infrastructure

Infrastructure involves design, implementation, and sustainability of systems and structures. We support tribal colleges and universities expanding their education offerings for students in this area, with opportunities to create well-designed learning spaces with the appropriate equipment, and to sustain or expand infrastructure.

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Student and Institutional Success

We invest in individual students to support their pursuit of a college degree, and we invest in TCUs as the institutions that can provide an intellectual and academic home for students in Native communities.
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