Dreamstarter Teacher Gwendolyn Couture: Podcasting to Preserve Local Native Traditions
Gwendolyn Couture of Charlo, Montana, is a Native American studies teacher at Ronan High School located on the Flathead Indian Reservation serving students of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Gwendolyn used her $1,000 Dreamstarter Teacher grant to create podcasts about issues related to their reservation and its history with one of her classes in […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Connie Michael: Expanding Mathematics in the Classroom
Connie Michael of Billings, Montana is a classroom teacher of all subject areas at Crow Agency Public School teaching primarily Crow and Cheyenne students. “Culturally and historically Native students are hands-on learners,” Connie stated in her Dreamstarter Teacher application. “They are active learners who used to learn from experiences. Manipulatives and visuals are key to […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Missy Kieffer: Creating young “River Protectors”
Missy Kieffer of Wellpinit, Washington is a pre-K Headstart teacher on the Spokane Indian Reservation which is surrounded by rivers, lakes and dams – “these are the same dams that prevent the salmon from returning to our waters.” Missy used her $1,000 Dreamstarter Teacher grant to create young “river protectors” in the hopes of the […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Carly Retterath: Creating Sharing of Native Knowledge
Carly Retterath of Mandan, North Dakota, is the director of alternative education at Mandan Public School serving students of the Standing Rock Nation, Spirit Lake Nation, Three Affiliated Tribes, and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Carly used her $1,000 Dreamstarter Teacher grant to provide the Four Directions student club with funds to complete cultural activities, […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Bethany Cruz: Supplies for Students
Bethany Cruz of Yakima, Washington, is a first-grade general education teacher at Simcoe Elementary, a school with 100 percent of the students receiving free/reduced price meals and serving members of the Yakama Nation. “We are a poverty-stricken area– which means most students do not come with needed school supplies,” she told us in her Dreamstarter […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Amanda Garner: Creating Counseling Curriculum
Amanda Garner of Warner, Oklahoma is a first-year counselor at Webbers Falls Schools serving children of Cherokee tribe who has “very little social emotional resources for my students. “These students have had a few hard years,” she told us in her Dreamstarter Teacher application. “In May of 2019, the entire town of Webbers Falls was […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Jennifer John: Promoting Literacy with Indigenous Literature
Jennifer John of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Is a third grade teacher at theNative American Community Academy in the Albuquerque Public Schools district serving students of theNavajo, Pueblo, Apache, Blackfeet, Lakota, Mandan, Northern Cheyenne, Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, Omaha, Euchee, Lumbee, Seminole, Tohono O’odham, Fort Mojave, Paiute Indian, Kiowa tribes, and many others. Jennifer used her […]
Dreamstarter Teacher Eli Redeker: Creating a Native American Young Adult Literature Study Program
Eli Redeker of Charlo, Montana, is an English Language Arts/reading teacher (as well as the junior high football and boys’ basketball and high school track coach and National Honor Society Advisor) at Charlo Jr/Sr. High School serving students of the confederated Salish & Kootenai (Flathead) tribes. Eli used his $1,000 Dreamstarter Teacher grant to implement […]
