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Board hears plans for VPK, American Indian resource center and community programming at Crestview
Summary
Presenters outlined anchor programming for the rebuilt Crestview site: VPK/ECFE, an American Indian Cultural Resource Center with language supports and maker space, family engagement functions and wraparound options; staff cited community interviews and site visits used to shape programming.
District staff described the program mix planned for the rebuilt Crestview facility and the community engagement that informed those choices. The design team and district program leads said the site will anchor voluntary prekindergarten (VPK), ECFE offerings, a permanent home for American Indian Education and a family-and-community engagement (FACE) hub, alongside flexible academic-enrichment spaces.
"The American Indian Cultural Resource Center will serve as the hub for the American Indian Education Department and its community-based programs,” Brian Bass, assistant superintendent for community achievement, said, noting the center will include a Dakota and Ojibwe language lab, a makerspace for traditional arts, and a library with more than 2,000 indigenous-authored books. Staff described space for drum-and-dance gatherings, regalia-making and community meetings.
Presenters also reported targeted outreach and interviews: VPK staff visited nine VPK sites and conducted two- to three-hour interviews at each site to understand alignment with kindergarten, gaps and culturally specific needs. District staff said those interviews and broader community work informed the decision to dedicate specialized spaces to VPK and culturally specific programs. Staff also described braided funding and wraparound-care options for working families, and cited existing after-school academic enrichment at multiple sites as evidence of demand.
