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Bemidji board hears update on Indian Education program; staff highlight language, cultural and academic supports
Summary
The Bemidji ISD 31 school board heard a presentation on Oct. 20 about the district's Indian Education program, which serves 1,116 students and combines Ojibwe language instruction, cultural activities and academic advising.
The Bemidji Public School District presented an update on its Indian Education Program during the Oct. 20 school board meeting, outlining staff roles, student participation and curricular activities intended to blend cultural programming with academic supports.
The program, presented by Sonia Wadena, supports districtwide services that include an Indian education program coordinator, administrative assistant, a culture and curriculum specialist, homeschool liaisons, academic/career advisors and Ojibwe language teachers. Wadena said the district enrollment as of Oct. 1 was 4,607 students and that 1,116 of those students were counted in the Indian Education program — about 24.22 percent of the district population as reported to the presenter.
"We staff an Indian education program coordinator, administrative assistant, cultural curriculum specialist, homeschool liaisons... Ojibwe language teachers now at the elementary because you guys have passed that at the middle school and high school," Wadena told the board.
Jamie Copenace, the district's culture and curriculum specialist, described the program's work with classroom teachers and professional development. "Part of our culture and curriculum integration...is just to provide resources to our teachers. Cultural resources, whoever reaches out to...who would like to collaborate," Copenace said, noting workshops offered for relicensure and curriculum units such as "Weaving Culture into Math." She described cohort work, STEAM connections and place-based activities that included maple sugaring, a wild rice camp and a snow-snake competition for students.
Wadena and Copenace said the program provides both cultural and supplemental academic support, and that academic advising is intended to boost math and English outcomes at the secondary level. Wadena said the district had recently added an academic advisor role at the middle school but that one such position was currently open.
Board members thanked the presenters and noted the program's emphasis on aligning cultural experiences with grade-level standards. The presenters highlighted family engagement events such as ribbon skirt/shirt workshops and said several hands-on learning opportunities are planned throughout the year.
The presenters asked board members to share names with the district if they know candidates for open positions in the academic advising roles. The program's activities and positions were described as supplemental to regular classroom instruction and aimed at improving engagement and achievement for American Indian students and other learners in the district.
