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Meet the 2022 Dreamstarter® Teachers

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

Brooke Gregory

Chief Leschi Schools
Puyallup, WA

Brooke will be implementing a Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) to all students, K-8th grade, to provide enriched learning experiences for stydebts. Each quarter of the school year, students will have the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities developed around student interest, learning styles, and expression in the fields of hospitality, science & engineering, education, audio/visual technology, health sciences, or culture/performing arts.
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Candace Dickerson

Chickahominy's Little Arrows
Providence Forge, VA

Candace will use her grant to help furnish and supply the new Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division preschool building, currently under construction, with play-based learning materials. This will provide the children and educators with well-equipped preschool classrooms and educational materials needed to succeed.
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Tyler Sumpter

Quileute Tribal School
La Push, WA

The Quileute Tribal School is making a strong effort to infuse Quileute culture and language into their curriculum, and to learn how to effectively do this Tyler will be investing in professional development by attending the National Indian Education Conference. Through workshops and by networking with other Native educators, she will learn how other educators did this effectively and share her insight with her colleagues, many non-Native educators who work at the tribal school with 95% a Native student population.
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Chief Jesse Swann

Piscataway Conoy Tribe
Pomfret, MD

Chief Swann will be implementing the Piscataway Conoy Tribe Cultural Education Project, which offers tribal youth out-of-school cultural education opportunities each month during the school year. This programming will empower youth to learn about their Piscataway history, art, music, and cultural practices through craft-making workshops, presentations, and field trips.
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John Price

Castle Heights Middle School
Rock Hill, SC

The Catawba Youth Council Enrichment program, launched last year by John, is dedicated to closing the achievement gap between the Native American students and the rest of the student body. John will use this enrichment program to continue creating a strong academic, emotional, social, and cultural support systems for Catawba students and connecting the school with the Catawba community.
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Meghan Osburne Wamsley

Yurok Tribe Head Start
Klamath, CA

Meghan’s grant will be used to start a fruit and vegetable garden at the Yurok Tribe Head Start. She will teach her students, from birth to 5 years old, the importance of healthy foods and being active outside, and will offer produce from the garden to local families.
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Monica Knuppe

Red Shirt School
Hermosa, SD

Monica's "Petunia Project" will allow her students to plant seeds, monitor plant growth, cross breed plants, and collect the new F1 generation seeds. This project will allow Native students to get hands-on experience of collecting scientific data and translating that data to helpful statistics like seed germination rates, growth rates, and more.
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Orleta Slick

Shonto Preparatory School
Shonto, AZ

Orleta will implement the “Connecting Voices” project, a cultural after-school program for students. She will partner with local community leaders to incorporate traditional Diné teachings in her after-school programming, including stories, art, foods, traditional practices, and family structures. Her goal is to reconnect her students with the local community and culture, teach resiliency and provide them space for rediscovery and healing.
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Rachel Davis

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI

Rachel’s grant will be used to help fund a group Native American college students to attend the Eighth Annual Native American Leadership Forum. This conference hosts the nation’s Native American leaders in Gaming and Commission, Government, Tribal Government, and other industries across Indian Country. This opportunity of professional development will help students foster a growth mindset and facilitate their transformation in higher education, while developing a positive sense of cultural identity.
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Ramsey Seweingyawma

Whitehorse High School
Montezuma Creek, UT

Ramsey’s grant will be used for computer science projects using robotics, drones, and computer components. After developing their computer science skills in the classroom, students will give an oral presentation on their projects. These presentations will be recorded and shared with other students to encourage future scholars to explore the world of computer science and develop projects of their own.
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Rose Yazzie

Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake
Salt Lake City, UT

As a fully licensed educator, Rose will be using her grant to sustain a monthly book club focusing on books written by Indigenous authors/about Indigenous experiences. She will pair each reading with cultural activities and reflections of participants’ tribal identities.
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Shana Aubid

Mille Lacs Early Education - District 3
Sandstone, MN

Shana's mission for her project is to promote culture integration into early education to increase cultural knowledge and family participation for her classroom of Native students. She will integrate traditional Anishinaabe teachings, crafts, storytelling, and lifestyle ways at the Mille Lacs Early Education Programs.
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Shannon Britton

Round Valley Elementary/Middle School
Covelo, CA

Due to the school’s emphasis on Math and Reading curriculums, Shannon will develop a weekly, sustainable afterschool program where students can expand their range of knowledge to include other areas of study like Art and Science. Students will be able to develop creative outlets and talents through the after school art and science projects they work on.
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Sister Mary Ignatius Skipper

St. Ann's Catholic Elemtary School
Belcourt, ND

Sister Mary Ignatius will incorporate new learning materials in the classrooms that will allow Native students to learn Language Arts and Social Studies based on their personal development needs and by using hands-on materials. She will use the Wacesa Curriculum, cutting-edge geography maps and globes, and engaging books. By offering new learning strategies, students will enhance their performance and knowledge, pique curiosity about the world around then, and feel more motivated to excel and continue their studies at higher levels.
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