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District reports first-year Title VI work expanding cultural events, family nights and plans for secondary mentorship
Summary
Geralyn Ashbaugh, director of state and federal programs, told the board on April 22 that Title VI programming in its first full grant year focused on family nights, cultural arts and community cafés and will expand mentorship and leadership for secondary students.
Geralyn Ashbaugh, director of state and federal programs, updated the board on Title VI (Native American and Alaska Native education) activities and the program’s first full grant year.
Ashbaugh said the district formed a Native American Parent Advisory Committee (NAPAC) and used parent/community cafes and outreach to set program goals: increase cultural awareness, build relationships, increase community representation and provide cultural enrichment. For the 2024–25 grant year, the district contracted with tribal and local cultural instructors to run family nights that included craft activities such as basket weaving, pottery and drum-making, and some language instruction.
Ashbaugh said the program developed a remind group to share events with qualifying families, organized five family nights in the grant year (the fourth being a weaving night), and worked with local tribal members and organizations including individuals identified in the memo and presentation. She said the district will focus next year on expanding leadership and mentorship opportunities for middle-level and secondary students and hopes to braid Title IV funding where appropriate and send students to culturally focused programs at regional camps.
Regarding numbers, Ashbaugh told the board the district has approximately 170 Native American students overall. She said the most recent grant was funded for approximately 40 Title VI qualifying students because funding is based on completed qualification forms (a district 506 process); she noted adding the form to new enrollment packets this year yielded about 20 additional qualifying forms and will increase next grant-year funding by roughly $6,000.
Ashbaugh thanked community partners and named several local contributors who led activities, and she identified Rebecca Festa as the district’s Native American liaison. Board members asked about attendance at family nights; Ashbaugh said typical attendance was about 20 individuals per session, though one recent night had a single family in attendance due to a late reminder.
