Meet the Fall 2017 Dreamstarter Teachers – a group of inspiring educators who are working towards bettering the lives of their Native students!

Nicole Santa

School: Round Valley Middle School
Community Served: Round Valley Indian Tribes
Location: Covelo, CA

Project: The grant will be used to create a first-grade fair in which students will make crafts and sell them to each other. This would incorporate and create a hands on learning experience for aspects of the curriculum including counting and money. . Back to Top

 


Audrey Jacobs

School: Red Cloud Indian School
Community Served: Oglala Lakota
Location: Pine Ridge, SD

Project: The grant will be used to purchase recording equipment for a Fourth grade Digital Storytelling program. Students will learn more about their history, culture, and the traditional art of storytelling.. Back to Top


JoAnn Bishop

School: Institute of American Indian Arts
Community Served: All Nations
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Project: The grant will be used to pay for range fees at an indoor 3D archery facility.  There are no local indoor ranges in their community.  The facility in Albuquerque offers a place to practice that simulates tournament conditions and targets. Back to Top


Jodi Stoddard

School: Crazy Horse School
Community Served: Oglala Lakota
Location: Wanblee, SD

Project: The grant will provide opportunities for high school students to attend “Career Day” events at institutions of higher education in South Dakota. This will expose students to higher education and assist them in making decisions about their futures Back to Top


Carrie Wilson

School: Malcolm High School
Community Served: Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Project: The grant will be used to purchase a complete set of graphing calculators. Having a calculator for each student will allow for more interactive activities and projects during the school day. . Back to Top


Lynn Herder

School: Chamberlain Elementary School
Community Served: Dakota and Lakota
Location: Chamberlain, SD 

Project: The grant will allow for Fall and Spring parent/student literacy nights for Kindergarten students. There will be dinner, socializing, reading circles, and board games. To foster emergent learning, each child will take home two books at the end of the event..  Back to Top


Meredith Schramm

School: Provo City School District
Community Served: Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
Location: Provo, UT

Project: The grant will be used develop, produce, and distribute a Native American-centered school curriculum. These lesson plans would offer teachers accurate and engaging information about Native history, culture, and current events. Back to Top


Katie Montez

School:Red Cloud Indian School
Community Served: Oglala Lakota
Location: Pine Ridge, SD

Project: The grant will fund a trip to St. Louis, MO, where college-bound high school students will tour universities. This experience would expose students to opportunities outside of South Dakota. Back to Top


Adam Buchmiller

School: Malcolm High School
Community Served: Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Project: The grant will be used to purchase a 360° camera and its accompanying equipment. The students will use the camera to record and share videos of cultural community events. Back to Top


Elijah Allen

School: NACA Inspired School Network
Community Served: Navajo Nation
Location: Navajo, NM

Project: The grant will be used to purchase supplies and materials for students to make their own moccasins. The moccasins, made primarily out of recycled tire, will be used as running shoes. Back to Top

 


Jay Maynard

School: Marty Indian School
Community Served: Inhanktowan Tankton Sioux
Location: Marty, SD

Project The grant will be used to provide programmable robots for the classroom. This would help students gain more interest in computer science at a younger age. Back to Top


Billi Jo Gravseth

School: Standing Rock Elementary School
Community Served: Standing Rock Sioux
Location: Fort Yates, ND

Project: The grant will be used to create opportunities in which more culturally relevant lessons can be incorporated in to the curriculum. This would involve bringing in community liaisons to the classroom to create a space for students to learn about their culture and identity. . Back to Top


Robert McRorie

School: Malcolm High School
Community Served: Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Project: The grant will be used to implement a Positive Behavioral Support System. Students will be rewarded for improvements in attendance, academics, and behavior. Back to Top