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American Indian educator outlines cultural curriculum, attendance and scholarship plans
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Summary
Darren Langdon, the district's American Indian educator, briefed the board on a range of initiatives including culturally relevant curriculum, hands‑on activities, an honor students powwow and plans for an American Indian scholarship database; he described outreach and grant‑eligibility efforts.
Darren Langdon, the CHISHOLM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT American Indian educator, told the board the program is organizing post‑secondary preparation, attendance supports, cultural curriculum and community events to better serve American Indian students.
Langdon said the parent committee selected six focus areas aligned with Minnesota Department of Education guidance. For post‑secondary preparation he described a one‑on‑one interview model to engage students with career readiness activities and noted plans to compile an American Indian scholarship database so students can find scholarship opportunities. "A lot of the students don't know. There's a lot of scholarships and special ways they can go to college without paying a dime," Langdon said.
To improve attendance and academic outcomes, Langdon reported plans to allocate some grant funds to transportation and institute a weekly missing‑work monitoring system to proactively connect with students. He said the parent committee recommended culturally relevant curriculum materials and that surveys showed many students could not identify American Indian tribes; the program will organize content around the "11 tribes of Minnesota" and integrate cultural teachings into interventions.
Langdon described hands‑on classroom activities already in use — hand drums at the elementary lunch period, an Ojibwe language scavenger hunt, wild‑rice simulations and a canoe display to teach traditional practices — and said a larger "Honor the Students" powwow is planned at the Discovery Center with participation from neighboring districts.
On outreach and grants he explained differences in eligibility: a Minnesota Department of Education grant provides roughly $500 per qualifying student for descendants; federal grants typically require enrollment or a parent/ grandparent enrollment in a tribe. Langdon said he has identified about eight students who qualify under state criteria and about five who meet typical federal enrollment criteria.
Board members and the superintendent commended Langdon's work; he said next steps include more surveys, an end‑of‑year evaluation of program impact and coordination with staff to avoid duplicating existing classroom work.
The board did not take formal action on program funding at the meeting; Langdon asked for continued support and said he will follow up with more detailed plans and measurements of impact.
