Board of Directors Andy Hope Ronn Dick Marion Berry Cecelia Tavoliero Carlton Smith Phyllis Carlson Sue Stevens Lee Wallace Mary Duncan Joyce Shales Ed Warren Administration Ted Wright, Interim President Elder Advisors Joe Hotch Dennis Demmert Nora Dauenhauer Jim Walton Marie Olson Lydia George Isabella Brady Gil Truitt Charles Natkong, Sr. Arnold Booth Contact (907) 586-1625 (907) 790-4406 (907) 723-8536 tedtrmp@aol.com andy@ankn.uaf.edu

W. K. Kellogg Foundation American Indian Higher Education Initiative Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education Final Report January 2001 Grant #P0053204   Project Summary: (1-2 pages) The project goals are to have: Establish project coordinator position Attendance at the Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education (CANHE) meetings and those of it's committees, a Attend W.K. Kellogg Foundation sponsored meeting to which CANHE is invited, Completion of the regional long-range plan for the Alaska Native Higher education and submission to the Consortium that addresses the criteria for federal funding of tribally-controlled community colleges, Participation in the statewide collaborative program of planning and institutional development leading to establishment of a net work of regional higher education institutions qualifying for support under the Tribally Controlled community College Act., Form an individual regional or collaborative cross-regional post-secondary institution, and begin implementation of the regional plan programs and services, to the extent that resources are available. Provide and substantiate an institutional contribution or $24,000 as in-kind contribution to the project work, Comply with all reporting requirements in the W. K. Kellogg foundation documents and grant proposal in a timely manner. Since at least the mid 1980's various organizations and individuals have talked about the possibility of establishing a tribally controlled college in Southeast Alaska. These discussions were inspired by the success of tribes and tribal consortia in taking-over federal institutions and providing Native people with health care, housing, and other basic services. In the fall of 1991 public forums were organized in Sitka and Juneau to spur interest in the tribal college movement and to recruit individuals and organizations willing to help lay the groundwork for a Southeast tribal college. In 1998 Central Council Tlingit & Haida received funds from the National Science Foundation and the Kellogg Foundation, through the Alaska Federation of Natives, to begin planning for the development of a tribal college. In October 1999 a group of thirty tribal college leaders met in Juneau and outlined a five-year plan for long-term, as well as a 90-day plan for short-term college development. During the latter part of 1999 and the first half of 2000, the tribal college coordinator and the interim board of trustees' attention was focused on soliciting tribal support, chartering the college, and outlining the process for electing permanent representatives to the tribal college board of trustees. While significant issues of governance and organization are still being worked-out, tribal college developers are at a point where a variety of actions can be taken on several fronts. To this end, plans for immediate and near-term activity are outlined in this proposal, as called for in the Barden reports and by our grantee sponsors for Phase II of the tribal college development projects. With the support of other regional tribal college developers and institutional partners, the leadership of the Southeast Alaska Tribal College is prepared to move forward to identify resources, design curriculum, hire staff, enter into specific, formal agreements with Sheldon Jackson College and the University of Alaska Southeast, and begin to offer college classes. Mission The mission of the Southeast Alaska Tribal College (SEATC) is to open our ancestor's box of wisdom, knowledge, respect, patience and understanding. The SEATC charter and by laws were approved by 9 tribes in October 2001. SEATC is a tribally controlled institution that provides educational services to Alaska Native as well as non-Native students throughout the region and state. The college may also serve students from other states and nations via distance delivered classes.   The Need for a Southeast Alaska Tribal College There is more than a little irony in the notion that proponents of a tribal college in Southeast Alaska must base some of the justification for development of such a college on the extent to which it meets needs that are not being met by other institutions. The irony lies in the assimilative history of education in the region and the differences between Southeast and some other regions that have experienced a lesser degree of assimilation. It is ironic that the children of Native people schooled at Sheldon Jackson School, Wrangell Institute, Chemawa Indian School, and Mt. Edgecumbe High School believe that a tribally controlled college is the best means to halt and reverse the decline of Alaska Native culture that began with those institutions. Having been assimilated through education, we have come full circle to understand that only full control of educational institutions will prevent the further decline of our cultures. The need for a tribally controlled college in Southeast Alaska can not be equated with the need for tribally owned or operated institutions that provide health care, housing, employment or other basic services. These can be justified in terms of the exercise of self-determination, and in the context of the long legal and political history that enables American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to organize themselves and provide services that would otherwise still be delivered to them through federal agencies. When it comes to education, however, American Indians and Alaska Natives have a moral obligation to develop schools and colleges fully invested in the proposition that tribal history, culture, tradition and worldview are as important as those of other cultures and nations. Further, the pursuit of higher education through a tribal college allows students to obtain a credential that reflects a more realistic and useful accounting of local and state economy and society. In particular, the Southeast Alaska Tribal College will identify and recruit Native faculty and students who appreciate the benefits of a higher education system designed to take advantage of and more seriously address both their cultural and academic needs. Post-Secondary Education in Southeast Alaska The main providers of post-secondary education services in the Southeast region are Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Sheldon Jackson College, and the University of Alaska Southeast. While the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Ketchikan Indian Corporation, and a few other Southeast tribes also have large education and training programs, they generally purchase services through the University system via scholarships to citizen students. The largest source of student support for higher education services in Alaska are regional and local Native corporation scholarships combined with Adult Vocational Training, Adult Basic Education, and Higher Education funds available through federally recognized tribes. This section will provide a brief summary of educational services currently available through the three main Southeast Alaska post-secondary providers: Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian tribes of Alaska, University of Alaska Southeast, and Sheldon Jackson College. Outline recommendations and action plans from the summer of 2000. Kellogg Final Report September 1, 2000-August 31, 2001 Southeast Alaska Native Education Forum, June, 2000 Goals: The Tribal College Working Group made the following recommendations: The group renewed its request for an Interregional Native Elders Exchange program. Perhaps this program could start with the ANREC Regional meetings in the fall of 2000. The group called for a public education campaign. Efforts should be made to follow up with Native organizations that have gone on record in support of tribal colleges in Alaska (the Grand Camps of the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the Alaska Intertribal Council, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, the Chilkat Indian Village, the Douglas Indian Association, Sitka ANB Camp #1, Sitka ANS Camp #4, Wrangell ANB and ANS Camps and the National Congress of American Indians). Each of these organizations should be informed of recent developments and asked to reaffirm their support. Other Native organizations should also be requested to formally endorse the tribal college planning project. Sasha Soboleff and Andy Hope were appointed to lead the SE Tribal College public education campaign. The next meeting of the SE Tribal College trustees will take place July 12-13 in Juneau. Approval of the draft by-laws and a discussion of research issues (i.e. the need for accurate data on Native high school enrollment, dropout rates and graduates) will be on the agenda. The working group recommends that CCTHITA contract with Dr. Ronn Dick for collection of the data and drafting of the by-laws. The first annual meeting of the SE Tribal College trustees will take place August 16-17 in Juneau. A permanent board of trustees will be elected at this meeting. The working group recommends that a GED program be a top priority for the SE Tribal College. The working group recommends that the respective tribal colleges develop a proposal requesting Alaska Native organizations to provide funding support to tribal colleges on a long-term basis. The working group recommends that the SE Tribal College request policy support from Sheldon Jackson College. The working group recommends that the SE Tribal College investigate the possibility of linking with the International Cross-Cultural Alcohol Program. The working group recommends that the SE Tribal College join the American Indian Higher Education Consortium     Progress toward Goals (2-10 pages) Respond to the specific evaluation questions for your project which we have listed below: Tribal College Timeline February 1997. The Southeast Alaska Native Rural Education Consortium Elders Council adopts a resolution calling for creation of a tribal college and tribal charter school. Late 1997: Kellogg Grant Funded Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education organized Sealaska Heritage Foundation initial Southeast representative Partnership: Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, Southeast Alaska Native Language Consortium, Sealaska Heritage Foundation January 1998 First Southeast Partnership meeting, Juneau February 1998 Second Southeast Partnership meeting May 1998, Southeast Alaska Native Language Consortium Conference, Juneau August 1998, Kellogg funding transferred to Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (was this in 98 or 99?) October 1998, Southeast Alaska Native Language Consortium Planning Conference, Juneau February 1999, Draft by laws for Southeast Alaska Tribal College adopted by the Southeast Alaska Native Rural Education Consortium Elders Council May 1999, SEATC Interim Trustees appointed September 1999, Kiks.ádi Pole Raising Ceremony, Sitka, Following a presentation by interim trustees John Hope and Jim Walton, 200 Clan and Clan House leaders sign a resolution endorsing the Tribal College Planning Project. The Chilkat Indian Village adopts a resolution endorsing the tribal college planning project. October 99. The initial 5-year plan for developing SEATC is completed November 99. The Douglas Indian Association and the Grand Camp Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood adopt resolutions supporting the tribal college planning project. December 99, Articles of Incorporation filed for SEATC. The Alaska Intertribal Council adopts a resolution supporting the tribal college planning project. March 00, Alaska Native Education Summit held in Juneau; participants adopt an action plan for developing tribal colleges in Alaska. The Sitka Tribe of Alaska, the Wrangell Camp #2, Alaska Native Brotherhood, Sitka Camp #1 Alaska Native Brotherhood, the Sitka Camp #4 Alaska Native Sisterhood and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska adopt resolutions supporting the tribal college planning project. June 00, The Southeast Native Education Forum is held in Juneau, participants adopt detailed action plans for SEATC. The National Congress of American Indians adopts a resolution supporting development of tribal colleges in Alaska. September 00, The first 5 year cycle for the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative ends December 00, Southeast region funding for the second 5 year cycle of the AKRSI is transferred to CCTHITA, Andy Hope hired as Southeast Region Coordinator February 01, The AFN/CANHE Higher Education Summit is held in Anchorage. The President of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium offers technical and political support to Alaska Tribal Colleges. Peter Honohono, of the Native Hawaiian Educators Association also attends. March 01, CANHE representatives attend the American Indian Higher Education Consortium meeting in Duluth, Minnesota. The AIHEC board authorizes a MOA with CANHE to provide technical support. May 01, The American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Institute for Higher Education Policy publish "Building Strong Communities, Tribal Colleges as Engaged Institutions" July 01, CANHE receives a planning grant from the National Science Foundation's Tribal College and Universities Program. This grant is for planning for improved technology infrastructure. A report on the Kellogg Foundation Alaska Tribal College Project, entitled "Site Visit: Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education" by Dr. Michael Pavel, is published. September 01. Kellogg funding ends. First SEATC workshop/course Fall 01. Formal organization of SEATC. 9 Southeast Alaska Tribes (Organized Village of Saxman, Ketchikan Indian Corporation, Wrangell Cooperative Association, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Angoon Community Association, Chilkat Indian Village, Petersburg Indian Association,Central Council of Tlingit and, Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and Douglas Indian Association) adopt resolutions approving the SEATC by laws and authorizing appointment of a board of trustees. The Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska Native Education Council adopt resolutions supporting development of tribal colleges in Alaska and Hawaii. SEATC officers are elected. SEATC 5-year plan (2001-2006) updated.     What new capacities have been developed at the institution(s), which improve the teaching/learning process? We made the College Coordinator position a part of a current program managers duties by 40%. We formed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Alaska Federation of Natives for a sixteen month period, and $77,000. That allowed us to hire a consultant position for .5 college coordinator and .5 regional education coordinator. That position enhanced our connections to the regional tribal governments and addressed the need for development of Native placed based curriculum. Curriculum such as the traditional geographic place names and GIS mapping project of Native clan groups, and a curriculum called "I Am Salmon", for the elementary levels and for teachers. "I Am Salmon" incorporates local and traditional knowledge with current policies and technical connectivity with other regions that have salmon resources, such as the Northwest area of America, Canada, Japan, and Russia. Students and educators are able to establish communications on what they are learning and doing in their respective regions. This has also allowed us to be involved in organizing and nurturing a group of writers to publish their work and promote the Native perspective and stories. This group has held an annual event to recognize Native writers with special awards. The work of these writers is also used in classrooms both at the elementary and post secondary level. We are able to tie together much of the work that is being done in other departments of our tribal government into our long-term class offerings. For instance, we have been working with the Headstart department to develop Tlingit language curriculum for the preschool level. The project is funded by a grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA). The curriculum is being piloted in three Southeast Alaska communities in the Headstart programs of Douglas, Sitka, and Hoonah. Elders who are fluent speakers are an important part of the curriculum development and we are in partnership with the Southeast Alaska Heritage Institution, the Juneau School District and the University of Alaska Southeast to help train the teachers in second language acquisition skills and Native language. We work with tribal Employment & Training programs to offer appropriate classes for regional employment opportunities for adults. We have offered many computer software classes out in the rural communities as well as offering them here in Juneau on a continuous basis. We offered Office Skill courses at four regional communities and a variety of vocational courses tied to construction projects and local industries.   What programs or audiences have been most impacted by project activities? Clients of welfare programs Employees of various government agencies and Native organizations Employers of VTRC students in the various rural communities we have served Southeast Alaska Native Education Association S.E. Native Language Consortium Elder Council for S.E. Alaska Rural Education Consortium Tribal governments and village IRA State of Alaska/ University of Alaska campuses AKRSI partner school districts: Yakutat, Hoonah, Sitka, Chatham and Juneau   What evidence is available which indicates the project is moving towards its goals/objectives? We received 10 resolutions from tribal governments from throughout southeast Alaska. We have filed Articles of Incorporation with the State of Alaska. Held meetings in which tribal representation was appointed to an eleven (11) person Board of Trustees for the Southeast Alaska Tribal College. We have adopted By-laws for the institution. The regional AKRSI Elder Council is written into the By-Laws as a permanent advisory group for the SEATC Board of Trustees. We have participated in numerous meetings, forums, workshops, conferences, and are involved in local, regional, and statewide discussions on Native education for our region, newspaper articles on the work and efforts in our region have been published, newsletter publications, and a report by the Kellogg Foundation consultant was written noting the progress we have made in a short time with limited financial resources. We have an increase in use of our facility by the community. In the past year we continue to increase the number of class offerings and the number of students attending our courses We are working toward having our classes add up to a certification or associate degree. Our staff is predominantly American Indian/Alaskan Native. We have produced a regional action plan, in partnership with the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, identifying the role of a tribal college in the improvement of Naïve education. We participate in the statewide consortium, with five other regions, meeting on a quarterly basis to share progress and build on each other's experiences, knowledge, resources, and efforts. The organization is called Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education, CANHE. CANHE has participated in the national Kellogg conference on American Native Higher Education Initiative and has been involved in making presentation on it's progress to various state departments and the Alaska Native Consortium for Employment and Training, a group made up of tribal leaders, and with members of the University of Alaska's Board of Regents. CANHE attended a couple of American Indian Higher Education Consortium, (AIHEC) meetings in Washington DC and in Minnesota last spring and created a Memorandum of Agreement with that organization to work together. The president of that organization came to Alaska to attend one of our quarterly meetings and discuss options for partnerships. A similar partnership with a group of educators from Hawaii is being discussed. The SEATC five-year plan (2001-2006) has been updated. A Memorandum of Agreement between SEATC and the Vocational Training and Resource Center, (VTRC) has been proposed. It will serve as a template for other tribal education partnerships. The Vocational Training and Resource Center, whose traditional name is Haa Haak Has Ka Hidi, " Our Uncles House", held a totem naming ceremony on June 1, 2001, for the totem pole that was raised in March 2001. This pole, and its representation of the role of uncles in education, is a visual reminder for the community of traditional values and responsibilities. A youth who have visited this facility asked: "Where are our uncles now?"   What obstacles or setbacks have been encountered and how have these been addressed? Obstacle: Working with the local University of Alaska campus to offer courses for credits. Solution: We made contacts with several of the Lower 48 tribal college presidents during the AIHEC meeting and we will explore partnerships with them in the future. We created a partnership with Ilisagvik College for establishing credits through their campus for a distance delivery course they are developing for rural communities. Credits will come from the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. We continue to meet with University of Alaska Southeast to provide credits for classes on an individual basis.     What lessons are being learned by the project staff and the participating institutions? Building strong community based education partnerships is critical. Finding funding for this effort requires lots of staff time. Funding is a very competitive process and we find ourselves competing with our partners. Educational goals are influenced by the political arena.   Summarize your progress towards achieving the stated goals of your project. Refer to timeline on page 2 of this report.   Does your experience to date suggest that original expectations for achieving these outcomes were realistic? If not, why not? How will you deal with unrealistic expectations? If you have modified your intended outcomes, indicate the changes. Yes, we feel they are realistic but require a lot of effort for open communications among the many entities that have an interest or "stake" in this movement. There is a substantial commitment in our region and within our organization that Natives achieve their goals and be successful in their educational, career, and professional ambitions. We are also committed to having these efforts translated into employment opportunities for these families. Some expectations in the region are that our tribal college will be offering degrees or academic qualifications in the immediate future. This expectation will take a long time to achieve in the classic definition of a "college". We are looking at ways to offer "higher education" and make it accessible to people who typically are not participating. In that we are still very new to this effort, our plan is constantly changing. It is a work in progress and one of the modifications we have discussed is making this a grades 11-14 institution. This would address the high Native "drop-out" rates for both high school and college. This would also address the expensive need for remedial classes during the first couple of years of a baccalaureate program.   Have there been any unanticipated outcomes? What are they? We have a partnership with Ilisagvik College, in Barrow, Alaska, through a National Science Foundation grant, to set up a model for distance delivery of classes to rural communities. They will offer this project in five rural Alaska communities. One of those communities is within the Southeast Alaska region, the community of Angoon. The outcome of the project will hopefully help us gain access to a system for delivering courses that are relevant to local communities at their sites. It will also test the best methods for teaching by distance delivery. It could allows us to expand our services and address the cost of travel, absence from homes and extended families, and the expense and availability of housing. Several teacher preparation programs: The Teacher Leadership Development Project, a project of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, and funded by NSF, The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Project, a project of the State of Alaska, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, The Preparing Indigenous Teachers for Alaska, a project of the University of Alaska Southeast, funded by U. S. Department of Education. SEATC has been working closely with the Southeast Alaska Native Educators Association to participate in all of these projects in an advisory and monitoring capacity.   Implementation: Describe the activities undertaken this year directed at each of the outcomes listed above, and lessons you have learned from this year's experiences? Addressed this item above.   If some intended activities were not undertaken, please note them and explain why they were not pursued. The certificate and associate degree programs for Tlingit language teachers has not come to fruition because there are no resources to fund the program at this time. SEATC is attempting to address this by planning a regional forum to consolidate available resources and attempt to facilitate a consensus on Tlingit language preservation/stabilization strategies. This forum is scheduled for late summer, 2002.   What problems have arisen and how are they being addressed? We have a library that was funded by the Paul Allen Foundation. We had funding for a part time professional librarian, but when the funding ran out we were not able to keep the position. This is very unfortunate as she was trying to connect our facility to the AIHEC system. At this point in time not much activity is being done around this issue.   Describe any new activities or modifications and why they were added. When the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) became involved as the grantee partner in 1998, through the Ilisagvik College Kellogg grant, we were operating the Vocational Training and Resource Center, traditionally named, Haa Kaak Has Ka Hidi, "Our Uncles House". This is a facility owned by five tribes, but administered by CCTHITA staff. The facility had just opened its doors as a vocational training center for the Southeast Alaska region and had as a long term goal, the plan to expand and serve as a tribal college with more academic offering. The mission of VTRC is to serve the region's training needs for economic improvement. As VTRC began offering courses, mostly in vocational and computer software programs, it became evident that basic academic courses should also be provided. When the Kellogg funding made it possible for CCTHITA to study the need for and the interest in creating a tribal college in the region, that focus became a part of the staff responsibilities at the VTRC. To date, this work has been carried out at the VTRC facility, reporting VTRC activities, and supported by CCTHITA through the direct participation of three program managers, space, communication networks, and supplies. The current funding from the AFN/ National Science Foundation is used to support a consultant position and travel associated with the projects. As stated above, that position addresses both tribal college planning and the work of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI). As the planning work progressed, it was determined by the AKRSI Elder Council and others devoting time to the newly forming tribal college, that it should be an entity that is "independent" in its legal structure from any one tribal government. That being the case, Articles of Incorporation were filed, tribal resolutions and representation were gathered to from a permanent Board of Trustees for the Southeast Alaska Tribal College, and by-laws were adopted by the eleven trustees. Currently, the SEATC exists as a legal entity, and so will be proposing a memorandum of agreement with CCTHITA/VTRC to work together to offer courses at the VTRC facility for some of its courses, and plans to do similar memorandums with other tribal and educational institutions that are interested.     Share other pertinent observation/accomplishments. Within the past year a lot of progress has been made on the statewide as well as regional level. Though the work on a daily basis seems to be slow, in the larger perspective we have made a lot of progress in the awareness by the general public as well as the organizations most directly affected. We believe the University of Alaska system in particular is very much aware of the work in our state and have begun to improve their offerings to better meet the unique needs of Native students. Because of the university system's culture, they are not able to adapt quickly, nor do they have the same stakeholder passion as the tribal organizations for achieving the work that needs to be done in helping Natives achieve success in their educational goals. In the fall of 2001, Alaska Native Education Council, a statewide Native education advocacy group, and the Alaska Federation of Natives, both passed resolutions from their memberships that called for an evaluation of those educational institutions that are receiving funding for "Alaska and Hawaiian Native serving institutions". The concern was for the large amounts of resources going to programs that are not serving the identified populations and are not incorporating in the administration of programs, the priorities of the Native educators. In April, 2001, this concern was also shared with Mararita Benetez, Director of Title III Programs, U.S. Department of Education, by CANHE membersin their quarterly meeting.             Future Plans: (1-2 pages)   Southeast Alaska Tribal College ~Science Technology, Engineering and Math~ Prospectus for Planned Programs Dr. Ted A Wright, President Becoming Native to a Place The mission of the SEATC is to open our ancestors box of wisdom, knowledge, respect, patience and understanding. The box of knowledge is a Tlingit metaphor that reinforces the need to pass on to our children the wisdom and strength of our culture through education. And, among the clans and tribal communities of southeast Alaska, education was traditionally built upon an intimate knowledge of diverse people in relation to culturally and historically unique places. The tribal college in Southeast Alaska is developing certificate and degree programs founded on principles of place-based education, inspired by and modeled after traditional Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian ways of knowing. For this reason, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs of the Southeast Alaska Tribal College (SEATC) will be built around a deep understanding of place. In this way, students who matriculate at the tribal college and take STEM courses will become Native to a place. As their knowledge of the area in which they live grows, students will gain wisdom and live with increasing respect, patience and understanding. Current Programs The Southeast Alaska Tribal College has worked on development of two core curricular programs to date, the I Am Salmon curriculum and the GIS Tlingit Placenames projects. Together, these projects provide a foundation upon which to build new science, technology, engineering and math courses and to infuse existing courses with the tribal college's place-based perspective. I Am Salmon The I Am Salmon project was initiated by One Reel in Seattle, as a part of the Wild Salmon program. I Am Salmon is a multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual, multicultural, multinational curriculum project, with participants in Japan, Russia, Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia and Washington. The project is designed to develop a sense of place (in one's watershed) and a sense of self (in the circle of life) and an understanding of how they are connected. The general purpose of I Am Salmon is for students to explore the natural history of their watershed by documenting the history of wild salmon streams near their communities and share that information with other students around the Pacific Rim. The six species of Pacific salmon serve as the unifying theme of I Am Salmon-their ties to watershed habitats, dependence on natural cycles and roles in ancestral and modern cultures in nations throughout the northern Pacific Ocean. By following the cycle of migrating salmon, students can learn lessons about the larger themes of life-birth, death and transformation-and an understanding of ones place, both in local watersheds and the world. Southeast Alaska I Am Salmon teams are developing curricula and educational resources. Team members will share these resources, which include Tlingit Cultural Atlases, Electronic Tlingit Language drills, Electronic Salmon part drills, Tlingit Plants, and Salmon units. At the higher education level, the Southeast Alaska Tribal College will use project curriculum to reorient SEATC classes toward a Native and Tlingit perspective, and to train faculty in the development of courses that are more in-line with the mission and worldview that inform all the college's programs.   GIS Cultural Place Names Mapping Recognizing the importance of documenting traditional ways of knowing based on an intimate relationship of Native people to their homelands, the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative has sponsored cultural mapping projects in each region of Alaska. In the Southeast region, digital atlases with Tlingit place names and numerous culturally relevant links have been developed, with several communities still in the process of establishing their maps. When completed, educators will have a geographic, cultural framework for building curriculum and guiding instructional practice. The importance of these atlases lies in the process it takes to complete them. Educators work with elders and local culture-bearers using technology to document the importance of specific places through stories, songs and arts passed down from generation to generation. Though some of the knowledge contained in these maps has to be protected from the general public, the majority of information provides an invaluable framework for college faculty to immerse students in local culture as they put western knowledge in Alaska Native perspective. The Southeast Alaska Tribal College will expand the use of Geographic Information Systems, cultural mapping technology, and web-based course development to enhance science, technology, engineering and math offerings. Planned Academic Programs In partnership with the Tlingit & Haida Vocational Training & Resource Center, the SEATC will seek funds for development of the following programs: Grade 11-14 Alaska Native Charter School, in cooperation with the Juneau School District, Alaska Department of Education and the University of Alaska Southeast. This would include tribal college development of a GED program as well as an expanded Early Scholars program for Southeast. The charter school would provide a seamless transition to college by helping Native students meet state academic standards, and by ensuring that they complete prerequisites for entry into college programs, particularly those that have proven to be roadblocks for entry into science, technology, engineering and math oriented programs.   Development of a Tlingit Language Teacher Certificate program in cooperation with the University of Alaska Southeast, Alaska Native Language Center (UAF), Sealaska Heritage Institute, and SE tribal ANA grantee partners. By helping students understand Tlingit language, the college provides a more direct connection between their culture and the more purely academic aspects of their education   Work with the University of Alaska to offer their Alaska Native and Rural Development and Cross-Cultural Studies degree programs through the tribal college. This would entail a concurrent effort to have UAF agree to formally sponsor the SEATC as a candidate for accreditation.   Join with the Preparing Indigenous Teachers for Alaska Schools (PITAS) program and the School of Education at the University of Alaska Southeast to recruit and train teachers in traditional place-based pedagogy and practice.   Develop a Native Theatre/Storytelling Program in partnership with Ilisagvik College, Perseverance Theatre and the University of Alaska Southeast. The partnership will build upon existing, successful, programs such as Beyond Heritage (Perseverance Theatre), the Barrow Theatre Ensemble and the Associate Degree Program Partnership with UAS and Perseverance Theatre. Though SEATC is requesting the University of Alaska for accreditation sponsorship, the academic programs of the tribal college will be distinctive in at least three ways:   Faculty will be recruited on the basis of their willingness and ability to learn to teach from a Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian view of the world, which is grounded in an intimate understanding of the place in which they live.   Faculty will learn how to reorient off and online instructional methods to focus first on local and regional environments, and to bridge the gap between western science, technology, engineering and mathematical paradigms and traditional ways of knowing.   The tribal college will work with school districts through the Southeast Alaska Native Charter School to mentor in-service teachers and students, helping mesh standards-based achievement with knowledge of place. When considering the resources it takes to develop unique programs such as these, SEATC management acknowledges the importance of training, technology, and strong partnerships between educational institutions and tribal communities. Training Technology Partnership SEATC Plan to Enhance STEM Elements of SEATC programs Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics lend themselves to traditional place-based education better than most other areas of inquiry because learning occurs most effectively through hands-on practice and real-world experience. That so many of our students seem to find these subjects to be too difficult or uninteresting is due more to the misplaced focus of our institutions than to the student's ability or judgment. The Southeast tribal college will organize itself to address this problem by tying the ways faculty teaches and students learn to places in the region and to Southeast Native cultures. The steps outlined below will move the college toward achieving these ends:   Implementation Strategy   Proposed or Planned SEATC Activity   Course-Curriculum Development/Enhancement Development and introduction of STEM program offerings, Restructuring of STEM curricula, Incorporating new knowledge, Research-based teaching and learning techniques and practices, Integration of technology, Revision of gate keeping and "bottleneck" courses to ensure accomplishment, Integration of student research, community services and other active learning pedagogies   Recruit appropriate faculty through the Southeast Alaska Native Educators Assoc. Provide stipends to faculty to develop online courses using the I Am Salmon and GIS Place Names frameworks. Develop SE Native Charter school curriculum to help students meet standards/prerequisites Incorporate traditional knowledge instruction with online technology for course offerings   Faculty Professional Development Sabbaticals and exchange programs, workshops on innovative teaching and assessment, visiting faculty-including industry partners, seminars to enhance discipline knowledge, faculty reassign or release time for STEM activities, research and community service with students, faculty reassigned or release time to mentor students   Sponsor tribal curriculum and instructional workshops for regional teachers/faculty Offer at least two place-based Native culture oriented courses to further certify teachers Sponsor in-service and classroom demons-trations in regional k-12 and college classrooms Sponsor research in place-based instruction   Integration of Active Learning Pedagogies   Stipends for faculty to document traditional pedagogy and ways of knowing, which already integrate Active Learning Pedagogies. Summer workshops to practice methods and develop curriculum   Community Outreach   Organize internships with tribal governments, ANCSA corporations, schools, other Native organizations. Work with elders, tribes, and community groups to allow ongoing learning activities to be community-based.   Student Support, Academic Enrichment Activities and Internships     Expand the Early Scholars program both in districts and through the SE Alaska Native Charter School. Develop mentor programs for Native students in cooperation with SEANEA, UAS and area school districts. Computers for students program     Dissemination? (1/2 page) What information or evaluation findings from your project have been made available to the field and how? Sharing Our Pathways articles January/February 00, Nurturing Native Knowledge September/October 00, SE Native Education Forum Action Plans November/December 00, The School of Custom and Tradition March/April 01, Getting From Here to There: A Vision for a SE Tribal College September/October 01, SE Tribal College Launched November/December 01, Opening the Box of Knowledge VTRC catalogs, 2001, 2002 Michael Pavel report, July 01 February 16, 2002 issue of the Juneau Empire   B. What plans do you have, if any, at this time for disseminating information about your project? Develop a brochure and a website. CLUSTER EVALUATION QUESTIONS   1. What additional funds have been leveraged to sustain your NAHEI-initiated program(s) or other efforts? $77,000 through a Memorandum of Agreement with Alaska Federation of Natives, that administers a National Science Foundation grant. Provide information under each of the following headings: The partnerships with SEANEA, EED, re: TLDP # Type Funding requested - Amounts requested - Source TCUP # Type Funding Received - Amounts received - Source Type of Resources/Activities Supported by the above Funding ___X_Administrative support ____Faculty involvement ____Student scholarships __X__Travel ____Clerical support ____Student support services __X__Other (describe) Some supplies as provided in MOA.   2. What institutional capacities have been increased or enhanced as a result of your NAHEI funding or NAHEI-initiated efforts? Check the categories and add a description. Same report that was submitted to Curt Madison? - Increased Resources at TCU or Native IHE ____Space/facilities e.g. office, classroom, labs, etc.(describe briefly)   __X__Administrative capacity e.g. phones, computers, etc. (describe briefly) As described in the above report.   ____Increased library acquisitions (describe briefly and categorize numbers, etc.) Paul Allen Library funding?   ____Other (describe briefly) - New/Increased Activities at TCU and/or partner IHE resulting from Teacher Ed. Funding SEANEA Organizational meetins/VTRC catalog? ____Cultural/multi-cultural activities (describe briefly and categorize numbers, etc.) ____Communications e.g. newsletters, surveys, etc. (describe briefly and categorize numbers, etc.) ____Other (describe in a brief paragraph)     3. What new technological improvements have been made to your IHE? (describe in a paragraph those improvements or enhances capabilities. e.g. internet access, networking, T-1 lines, distance learning, etc.   Ilisagvik Project, the partnership with IATC and VTRC Computer training facilities     - Technology networks Involved Check all that apply ____ State network   __X_TCU/Partner network ____AIHEC Distance Learning network ____Video Conferencing (show organizations and agencies involved) __X__Internet communications for daily/weekly/ongoing communications ____AIHEC Virtual library ____Other (describe and name)

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