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2021-2022 Dreamstarter Teachers

Running Strong for American Indian Youth is proud to welcome the seventh cohort of Dreamstarter® Teachers who are making a difference in the lives of their Native American students and classrooms.

Amanda Garner

Warner, OK

Webber Falls Schools

Amanda will be supporting her students’ social and emotional needs by bringing emotional support, stress management, mindfulness, conflict resolution and self-esteem curricula and coping skills activities into her school counseling sessions and the classrooms.

Autumn Adams

Ronan, MT

Ronan Middle School

Autumn will use her grant to supply her class with art materials such as water color pencils, markers, drawing paper, pastels, and more. She hopes to help them recognize their gifts so they can help themselves, their families, and their communities.

Bethany Cruz

Yakima, WA

Simcoe Elementary

Bethany will create back-to-school kits and home learning kits for students to help them have all the tools they need to succeed. Each kit will include pencils, glue, scissors, and erasers in a backpack.

Beverly Moore

Pawhuska, OK

Pawhuska Elementary School

Beverly is working with the Pawhuska community to support dance programing at the school. Students will work with local dance instructors to learn ballet and its importance to their health, community and culture.

Dr. Carly Retterath

Mandan, ND

Mandan Public Schools

Carly’s grant will fund the Four Directions Club at Mandan Public Schools. The Club, full of Native and non-Native students, will take cultural field trips and participate in cultural activities.

Ceriss Blackwood

La Plata County, Colorado

Southern Ute Indian Montessori Academy

Ceriss will start a STEM club for her students; the club will build solar cars and race them, supported by classroom lessons about solar energy. The club will also create robots, supported by classroom lessons in geometry and electricity.

Christy Rogers

Kotzebue, AK

Kotzebue Middle High School

Christy hopes to incorporate Native culture into the classroom and will engage her class in the making of a traditional Alaska Native drum. Using the drum, she will teach the community’s creation story.

Connie Michael

Billings, MT

Crow Agency Public Schools

Connie will use her grant to invest in Math learning materials and activities for her students. At every opportunity, she will reinforce the Crow language in her lessons of time, dates, seasons and numbers. She will also add more appropriate level trade books to her classroom.

Devin Tatro

Juneau, AK

Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School

Devin will use her grant to bring her leadership class to participate in the First Alaskans Institute Elders and Youth Conference. They will participate in workshops around climate justice and advocate for their community’s needs.

Eli Deneroff

Hoonah, Alaska

Hoonah City Schools

Eli Derenoff, in partnership with 2021-2022 DS Teacher Mark Browning, will use his grant to establish a mobile greenhouse for his students and community. The students will not only benefit educationally from hands-on science, business, and math lessons, they will be able to take home fresh fruits and vegetables!

Eli Redeker

Charlo, MT

Charlo Jr./Sr. High School

Eli is passionate about improving student engagement and young adult literacy in his community, and he will use his grant to buy a set of young adult novels that specifically target his Native American students for his classroom.

Gwendolyn Couture

Ronan, MT

Ronan High School

Gwendolyn and her class will create a podcast about their reservation for their community. They will develop better research, writing and thinking skills, as well as strengthen relationships between the youth and elders while creating a digital archive of stories with elders.

Jennifer John

Albuquerque, NM

Native American Community Academy

Jennifer will create a library of Indigenous Children’s Literature in her classroom and create a comprehensive Indigenous Literature curriculum.

John Twichel

Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Sault Area Middle School

John will continue his underwater robotics program for students by purchasing LCD screens that will enable them to further develop their computer programming skills and ability to wire and program the robots.

Jonna Weidaw

Lakeport, CA

Lakeport Community Day School

Joanna will provide hands-on lessons for Pomo basket weaving; wild harvesting; and to have her students make their own personal basket from materials they harvested.

Kelda Britton

Covelo CA

Round Valley High School

Kelda will purchase camping supplies for students to attend the 26th Annual Nome Cult Walk. Students will be outdoors all week camping, talking with elders and learning about traditional teachings and plant medicines.

Kristina Kieffer

Wellpinit, WA

Spokane Tribe Headstart

Kristina will encourage a new generation of river protectors on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State by teaching students about sustainable damming and going on a traditional fishing trip.

Lisa Clemens

Hayward, WI

Hayward High School

Lisa will purchase traditional La Crosse equipment for her students, and will eventually lead to an official school team which offers all students a way to connect with and understand each other through sport.

LoriAnne Adams

Wapoto, WA

Simcoe Elementary School

LoriAnne will buy supplies for her school to make beaded keychains and cards to give to their local Yakama Nation Warriors Veterans and other Veterans within their area, as well as keychains to send to a Native Veterans Affairs Clinic.

Mark Browning

Hoonah, AK

Hoonah City Schools

Mark Browning, in partnership with 2021-2022 DS Teacher Eli Derenoff, will establish a mobile greenhouse for his students and community. The students will benefit from hands-on science, business, and math lessons, and will be able to take home fresh fruits and vegetables.

Meredith Schramm

Lehi, UT

Lehi Junior High School

Meredith will fund a new Cultural Studies class in her school complete with books, drum kits, jewelry kits, and other culturally enriching materials.

Mary Anna Thornton

Minocqua, WI

Lakeland Star School Academy

Mary Anna will purchase books in consultation and collaboration with her local Native community and Native Star School families for the Star School library and classrooms, to complement and supplement her current schoolbooks.

Michelle Jones

Winslow, AZ

Winslow High School

Michelle will purchase a variety of needs for her science classroom, including new safety aprons, safety goggles, and a sterilization cabinet for classroom materials.

Nicole Rasmussen

Electric City, WA

Lake Roosevelt Elementary

Nicole will purchase books with Native American history, information, and characters. By adding many Native American books to her library, Nicole hopes to help Native American students see themselves in the books they read.

Robert Hall

Ethete, WY

Wyoming Indian Elementary School

Robert will rebuild the school greenhouse to support special education students who might benefit from learning about health and how to garden. He hopes to instill the feelings of success for students with special needs.

Tierra Jishie

Flagstaff AZ

Winslow High School

Tierra will provide an enriching education to anatomy and physiology students that focuses on both English and Native language by inviting athletic trainers to discuss anatomy in Navajo, Hopi, and more local languages.

Victoria Buswa

Brimley, MI

Ojibwe Charter School

Victoria will create a year-long beadwork class and bring more beadwork styles to her students to help them learn the Ojibwe language and create lifelong regalia pieces.

John Price

Rock Hill, SC

Castle Heights Middle School

John will establish an enrichment class for his Native students. He has worked with the Catawba Cultural Center to establish a year-long class that focuses on academic success, mentoring, cultural awareness, community service, and emotional health.

a project of Christian Relief Services, Inc.

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