Running Strong for American Indian Youth is excited to announce the 2024-2025 Dreamstarter Teacher grant recipients! This year, we have selected 12 educators to receive grants of up to $5,000 that will be used to make a lasting change in their students’ lives. Projects this year will include school gardens, Indigenous-focused curriculum, cultural sensitivity training, and more that will help shape these young learners into the leaders of the future.
Adrienne Edmonson
Adrienne’s dream is to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and promote sustainable lifestyles by educating the community on the values, traditions and activities of the Cahuilla Indians. Adrienne will expand their current programming with new books, traditional crafting supplies, and indoor activity equipment to continue programming through the seasons.
Analysa Allison
Analysa’s dream is to empower her students to explore and pursue post-secondary education by creating opportunities for Native students to connect, create a community of support, and speak with role models to get them excited about their future. Native students will have the opportunity to attend a monthly Native Club, leadership conferences, and a community Pow -Wow.
Ashley Alarcon
Ashley’s dream is to empower her Native American students by providing them with an opportunity to connect with their cultural heritage and ancestral lands through an immersive educational experience at the Grand Canyon. Students will study the Grand Canyon throughout the school year, and use their knowledge to collaborate on an indigenous-focused field trip to the site.
Brook LaFloe
Brook’s dream is to help her youngest learners develop their cultural and spiritual identities, and foster a strong school community through intertribal Drum & Dance teachings and events throughout the school year. She will facilitate a regularly scheduled Drum and Dance practice to prepare for a school community outing to a local Pow Wow.
Donald King
Donald’s dream is to empower his students by promoting awareness of cultural diversity in the school community, creating opportunities for representation, inclusion, and showcasing future educational and career opportunities throughout the school year by collaborating with local indigenous communities to create engaging lessons, projects, presentations and field trips.
Edith Suber
Edith’s dream is to promote students’ physical and mental health, cultural connection, and improved academic performance by implementing a classroom teaching garden that will provide a peaceful space, healthy foods and engaging, hands-on learning opportunities to compliment lessons and all learning styles.
Jessica French
Jessica’s dream is a classroom makeover that will set up her pre-K students for long term success by fostering healthy habits, good social skills and academic performance, and more by implementing a nature-based classroom that will encourage a love and appreciation for their environment and being outside.
Joe Dukepoo
Joe’s Dream is to create a strong community of support and a safe space for students to learn and flourish by bringing in a local elder to conduct cultural sensitivity training with his staff and teachers. He will also bring in a motivational speaker that will be able to connect with students and families and implement quarterly open houses for students to show off their knowledge.
Lance West
Lance’s dream is to honor and share Indigenous and relational knowledge systems to promote students’ academic success, and cultural connection through community gatherings where elders will have a space to positively share stories, knowledge, and songs with students and families.
Leila Kaseca
Leila’s dream is to raise student and community engagement through enriched STEM education that will incorporate innovative, culturally responsive projects and activities through clubs, field trips, career talks and hands-on learning experiences that will inspire her students to pursue their passions and achieve their goals in education, and their future careers.
Serena Inda
Serena’s dream is to inspire and instill confidence in her students by using art to create an opportunity to express themselves, speak up for justice and equality, and give them a space to heal. Students will study and create art in the style of Native American artists throughout the year, in preparation for a final collaborative mural that will adorn the halls for years to come.
Tiffany Cacy
Tiffany’s dream is to ensure all children at her site have equal access and opportunity to participate leisure and sporting activities and participate in play with other children by providing Special Needs Children at her site items to interact with through crucial imaginative play and outdoor time.
Congratulations to the new class of Dreamstarter Teachers! Each of these passionate educators is dedicated to creating a brighter future for their students by incorporating Indigenous values, promoting cultural awareness, and fostering academic excellence. By supporting these educators, Running Strong for American Indian Youth continues its mission to empower the next generation of Native leaders. We are excited to see the incredible transformations these projects will bring to classrooms and communities. Here’s to a great 2024-2025 school year!
To learn more visit: https://indianyouth.org/dreamstarterteacher/
Donate to help support schools throughout Indian Country: https://runningstrong.harnessgiving.org/campaigns/13383
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