For me, this time of year means travel. It means recruiting for a program I care deeply about – the University of Colorado Upward Bound Program. My trips begin with a flight to a small town like Durango, Colorado or Fayetteville, North Carolina or in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sometimes I fly all day just to end up on a little commuter plane with two-seats on each side of the aisle, and fly through turbulence to land in a different place in a new state.
Native American Heritage Month is a great time to show your support for Native American students in higher education. We invite you to share in the celebration and learn more about Indian Country with the fun articles, activities and blogs we have planned this month. We hope that you will visit our blog regularly to hear from our guest writers who all bring their unique Native perspective for your enjoyment and enlightenment.
Ford Motor Company Fund has renewed a $50,000 grant to the American Indian College Fund for the Ford Motor Company Blue Oval Scholars Program. Ten tribal college scholarships and five mainstream university scholarships at $3,000 each are available for Native students studying science, technology, engineering, math, or business. All applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average.
The American Indian College Fund’s historic five-year $17.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., named Woksape Oyate, Lakota for “Wisdom of the People,” has concluded its final year. The program helped 32 tribal colleges build upon Native intellectual capital by tailoring programs to address individual school needs while strengthening the entire tribal college system.
Being in the same room as the nominees for President of the United States, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. Many of us have traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit Congress and federal agencies and never get to see the President. Many of us attend rallies for one of the candidates but rarely get to see the two nominees in the same room.
Last week I accompanied five American Indian College Fund Scholars to the United Health Foundation’s Annual Diverse Scholars Forum in Washington, D.C. These students have been supported by the United Health Foundation with scholarships to pursue degrees ranging from physical therapy and exercise science to nursing and health occupations.
Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) granted $50,000 to the American Indian College Fund to continue the Nissan Corporate Scholars Program. The program has provided scholarships to Native scholars attending tribal colleges and mainstream universities for more than a decade.
AT&T contributed $15,000 to the American Indian College Fund (the Fund), continuing two decades of supporting Native American students’ pursuit of higher education. The AT&T Tribal College Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students studying science, technology, engineering, mathematics and/or business at the nation’s tribal colleges and universities.
When Sitting Bull College (SBC) opened a new building for a satellite campus in January, administrators were pleasantly surprised. Nearly four times as many students (45) than in the past enrolled for classes at the tiny site in Mobridge, South Dakota.
Charity Navigator, the nation’s top charity evaluation system, has awarded the Denver-based American Indian College Fund (the Fund) a coveted four-star rating for sound fiscal management and transparency. This is the Fund’s third consecutive four-star rating.
