- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The American Indian College Fund is launching a new virtual learning series in collaboration with two of its programs, Ihduwiyayapi: Advancing Indigenous Early Childhood Education and Wounspekiya Unspewicakiyapi Native Teacher Education. The series, titled Dreaming Beyond the Classroom, will begin on October 22 and is designed for early childhood educators as well as elementary and secondary teacher candidates in Indigenous communities. This 5-part series is specifically aimed at supporting new teachers and students at tribal colleges and universities who are preparing to become educators within their communities.
The series will offer an online platform with resources, motivational speakers, and professional development tools to help new teachers build their skills. Participants will receive a gift card for attending, with opportunities to win additional prizes for attending multiple sessions.
Running from October 2024 through April 2025, the sessions will cover topics such as classroom management and family engagement. Further details on session times and registration can be found below.
Tribal College Movement and Native Identity – Tuesday, October 22, from 10 AM – 11 AM MT. Learn about the Tribal College Movement and welcome guest speaker, Wakaya Wells (Two-Spirit Choctaw), to talk about Native identity. https://us06web.zoom.us/
Classroom Management – Thursday, January 16, from 10 AM – 11 AM MT. Join us to learn more about strategies for classroom management. https://us06web.zoom.us/
TCU Teacher Journeys – Thursday, February 6, from 10 AM – 11 AM MT. Hear about the experiences and journeys from two Native teachers who are TCU alumni. https://us06web.zoom.us/
Listening Session – Monday, February 24, from 1 PM – 2 PM MT. We welcome TCU Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary students and new teachers in the field to join the interactive listening session to share your current needs and thoughts with College Fund staff. https://us06web.zoom.us/
Family Engagement – Thursday, April 17, from 11 AM – 12 PM MT. Learn how to become involved and engaged with families through best practices. https://us06web.zoom.us/
More Stories Like This
Mackie Moore (Cherokee) Named Interim President of Haskell Indian Nations UniversityMohawk Students File Legal Suit Over Changes Impacting Access to Federal Financial Aid
Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to Tribal College Funding, Threatening Their Survival
USU Researchers Find Relationship Building, Local Cultural Knowledge Key for Indigenous Learners
Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Brings Traditional Dance and Cultural Learning to 450 Students This Spring
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
