Cultivating Lakota

2015 – 2016

About The Program

The American Indian College Fund supported a Lakota language and culture revitalization program, Cultivating Lakota Early Childhood Learning Opportunities in 2015 to 2016. Partnering with Sitting Bull College, the program sought to develop a scope and sequence of a pre-K Lakota immersion language curriculum, improve family engagement strategies, create an early learning language immersion assessment system, and strengthen the knowledge and skill of Lakota immersion language teachers. Focusing on early learning contexts, this program envisioned to create a long-term, sustainable plan for Lakota language and culture revitalization.

Cultivating Lakota Early Childhood Learning Opportunities is guided by three main objectives:

  • Development of Lakota language immersion curriculum, enriched by family engagement
  • Development of Lakota language immersion assessment aligned with curricular lessons
  • Provide opportunities for teachers to engage in targeted professional development in language learning and development

This funded project will have intentional benefits and sustained impact on the Lakhól’iyapi Wahóhpi families, children and teachers at Sitting Bull College and beyond.

Program Gallery

Grantees

Sitting Bull College

Related Blogs

Sitting Bull College Kicks Off Restorative Teachings Project

Sitting Bull College Kicks Off Restorative Teachings Project

The American Indian College Fund’s (College Fund) Tribal College and Universities (TCU) Early Childhood Education (ECE) Initiatives launched a new project called Restorative Teachings TCU ECE Initiative, a health and wellness initiative funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The program is geared to build the physical and emotional health, strength, and well-being of early childhood learners. This initiative engages four TCUs in programming which includes partnerships with local ECE centers and tribal education partners.

Gardening Event Embraces Restorative Teachings

Gardening Event Embraces Restorative Teachings

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute’s (SIPI) Restorative Teachings team gathered for our annual “Community Planting Event.” Every April for the past couple of years SIPI’s preschool children have planted corn, melons, and chile peppers. This event involves children, families, and staff members of both SIPI and the Youth Development Incorporated (YDI) Head Start.

Northwest Indian College Restorative Teachings ECE Initiative, May 2016

Northwest Indian College Restorative Teachings ECE Initiative, May 2016

Spring is in full bloom here at the Northwest Indian College (NWIC) Early Leaning Center, and the College Fund’s Restorative Teachings Early Childhood Education (ECE) Initiative is beginning to take shape.  We are fortunate to live in a part of the country where the seasonal changes are so dramatic and each transition brings such a feeling of change to our surroundings.

Our Program Areas

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Computer Science

Environmental Stewardship

Indigenous Education

Infrastructure

Native Arts

The Iñupiat family engagement event was held at the Aimaaġvik Assisted Living Center to celebrate the season with the elder residents.

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