The University of Madison-Wisconsin Will Develop Educational Pathways For Indigenous Students

U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a grant to The University of Madison-Wisconsin, in partnership with Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College and the College of Menominee Nation. The goal of this grant is to fund Wisconsin Land-Grant System Partnership for Advancing Native Education Pathways, which will bring together university faculty and staff, and community members to develop a compressive curriculum aimed at supporting Native American students chart a path between primary and secondary education.

Here are four main goals of this project:

• Develop and implement collaborations among tribal education departments, land-grant colleges, and K-12 school districts to strengthen the effectiveness and use of culturally responsive Native Education Pathways from K-12 and higher education into STEM careers.
• Engage Native American youth in precollege Indigenous science learning experiences that integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge, evidence-based content, and educational processes that are proven to work for Native American students.
• Strengthen collaboration between Native American communities and school districts to build trust and provide culturally competent professional development and learning opportunities that support and strengthen Native American student success for college pathways.
• Improve equitable and sustainable resources, policies, and systemic infrastructure for coordinating strategies among land-grant college partners for Native American students’ postsecondary admission, retention, and progression into successful STEM careers.
• Engage Native American youth in precollege Indigenous science learning experiences that integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge, evidence-based content and educational processes that are proven to work for Native American students.

Here’s what Brian Kowalkowski, dean of continuing education for the College of Menominee Nation had to say about this grant award:

This is an opportunity that is the first of its kind, allowing the three land-grant institutions in the State of Wisconsin to work together to create Native American-specific programming and resources to better prepare all Native American youth from all Tribes within the state. It allows the three schools to share resources to better identify the needs of the Native American community, The College of Menominee Nation and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College is uniquely prepared to share and teach other institutions about the history and culture of their people, which will lead to a better understanding and more successful students, both Native and non-native.”

Grant seekers can find additional grants for education at the following link – https://www.grantwatch.com/cat/59/education-grants.html