Wakanyeja
2011 – 2016
About The Program
Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” was the first ECE program at the American Indian College Fund. The program worked to bring together tribal colleges, communities, educators, and families to address early learning disparities in Native communities during the years of 2011 to 2016. The initiative addressed 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
In 2011, four tribal colleges were selected through a competitive process to participate in the Wakanyeja program, and received up to $935,000 over four years to develop and strengthen early childhood education programs at tribal colleges.
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.
Program Gallery
Grantees
College of Menominee Nation
Ilisagvik College
Northwest Indian College
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Related Blogs
Sharing Stories through Imagery: Pathways to Improving Early Childhood Education in Native Communities
Four tribal colleges who are grantees in the Kellogg Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” Early Childhood Education Initiative met last week in Boulder, Colorado. The teams came from across North America, including Ilisagvik College, Barrow, Alaska; College of Menominee Nation (CMN), Keshena, Wisconsin, Northwest Indian College (NWIC), Bellingham, Washington; and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), Albuquerque, New, Mexico.
