Sapsik'ʷałá Native Teacher Education Program

Participation Drive
Invest in Native educators' success!

Sapsik'ʷałá Native Teacher Education Program

Sapsik’ʷałá delivers a pathway for Indigenous people to become teachers within their communities through a collaboration between all Nine Federally Recognized Sovereign Indian Nations of Oregon, the UOTeach master’s program, and the UO Special Education Program. We provide a cohort-within-a-cohort model for students to learn Indigenous methodologies for teaching while obtaining Oregon teacher licensure. Your gift in support of Sapsik’ʷałá is not only an investment in the success of Indigenous educators at the University of Oregon, but an investment in the health of Tribal communities. 

 

The Sapsik'ʷałá program will reach 100+ alumni upon graduation of our current cohort in June 2021. In celebration of this milestone, we have set a goal to inspire 100 donors to give in honor of 100 alumni. Through the month of November, a gift to this campaign will help reimburse American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous teacher candidates who participate in the Sapsik’ʷałá Program but do not receive grant funding. Your gift will help provide these students with scholarships for tuition and books. Additionally, this fund supports our Distinguished Elder Educator, Tuxámshish Dr. Virginia Beavert, who established the Sahaptin/Ichishkíin language program at the University of Oregon and continues to advise and teach classes on language and culture for Sapsik’ʷałá students. Thank you for considering a gift today!

 

 

Spread the Word!  Please use the buttons to share our campaign on your social media.

 

About our program:

Sapsik’ʷałá, which translates to “teacher” in Sahaptin/Ichishkíin, represents our program’s cultural values for self-determination in education for Indigenous people. The Sapsik’ʷałá Program is based on the belief that “Education Strengthens our People” and all Sapsik'ʷałá students commit to teaching in Tribal schools after they graduate. Your support strengthens a culturally sustaining pathway for Native people to become teachers who give back to Tribal communities.  To date our program has 96 alumni from 47 Tribes teaching and empowering Tribal communities!