Funders commit $6.25 million for Indigenous early childhood education
The American Indian College Fund has announced four grants totaling $6.25 million in support of its Indigenous Early Childhood Education (IECE) program.
The grants from the Bezos Family ($5.3 million), W.K. Kellogg ($600,000), and Heising-Simons ($350,000) foundations and American Family Insurance ($30,000) will help launch Ihduwiyayapi Advancing IECE learning readiness projects with 11 tribal college and university (TCU) partners. The program provides TCUs with opportunities to expand their capacity building through professional development, access to a community of practice, and mentorship, as well as support for program development through Indigenous pedagogy, parent and family empowerment, and program alignment and articulation. At the same time, TCU partners aim to enhance their services for students, train the next generation of Indigenous early childhood educators, and strengthen communities and families. To date, the IECE program has engaged more than 5,000 children, 3,900 families, and 2,700 teachers at TCUs across Indian Country.
Participating TCUs include Blackfeet Community College (Browning, Montana), College of Menominee Nation (Green Bay, Wisconsin), Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona), Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (Cloquet, Minnesota), Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (Hayward, Wisconsin), Little Priest Tribal College (Winnebago, Nebraska), Navajo Technical University (Crownpoint, New Mexico), Northwest Indian College (Bellingham, Washington), Sitting Bull College (Ft. Yates, North Dakota), Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (Albuquerque, New Mexico), and Stone Child College (Box Elder, Montana).
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