Wounspekiya Unspewicakiyapi Native Teacher Education Pilot Program
2022-2024
About The Program
The Wounspekiya Unspewicakiyapi Native Teacher Education pilot program seeks to address the teacher shortage in our Native communities through support for K-12 Native teacher recruitment, development, and retention by collaborating with tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) to increase students’ successful attainment of teacher certification and employment and to learn best practices and strategies for future programming.
Wounspekiya Unspewicakiyapi can be translated from Dakota to describe the purpose of this program, teaching teachers. The name prioritizes Native worldview and understanding within the approach to creating Native American teachers.
Through generous funding from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, this three year $2.25M pilot program provides the opportunity for TCUs to enhance and strengthen culturally responsive teacher education pathway programming. This is accomplished by developing the pathway starting with recruitment through obtainment of a teaching degree and certification.
To support this vision, the College Fund has identified the following outcomes for this program:
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- TCU grantees will produce more culturally competent and place-based Native teachers who are retained in the K-12 system.
- TCU grantees will increase recruitment, retention, and graduation and support successful entry into the field of teacher education.
- TCU grantees and the College Fund will learn about community informed barriers and opportunities to entering the teaching profession, to enable the recruitment of more Native teachers to meet the high demand for culturally competent, place-based teachers.
This program enhances support services for students before they are admitted to the teacher education degree program, assists retention of students through the completion of their teaching degree, and supports students to obtain state certification. Some of the proposed activities relate to improving the quality of distance education, utilizing online platforms for gathering students for seminars, consulting former graduates to assist with Praxis test preparation, and building a Community of Practice to share and learn best practices among partnering TCUs.
Our Programs’ Blogs
Read important Program News from the team at College Fund.
A Dialogue with Diné Director Blackhorse Lowe
Diné film and TV director Blackhorse Lowe met with the College Fund to speak about what it means to be an Indigenous director. Lowe grew up on the Navajo Nation hearing traditional and family stories and watching movies–lots of movies, which influenced his path on becoming a film and TV director.
SGU Staff Spotlight: Sherman “Jim” Marshall, II
Sherman “Jim” Marshall has led Sinte Gleska University’s adult basic education and high school equivalency work for nearly 15 years. His quiet leadership has left a lasting impact on staff and students.
SIPI Drawing Workshop Taps into Native Philosophies of Awareness in Art, Native Identity, Sacredness, and Value
The warm smell of burning firewood wafted around us as we stepped out of the car. The cool still morning and chirping birds greeted us as we entered the building of the Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni (ARTZ) which houses silver and turquoise jewelry and is adorned with colorful paintings all created by Zuni artists.
Grantees
Thank you to our Grantees for supporting this program.
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