Author: Marketing

Summer school has wrapped up at the high school, and another year of valuable additional learning time is in the books. Over the course of three weeks, 11 students from various grades earned additional credit in science, social studies, health, and physical education. The guiding questions behind this project based learning experience was inspired and driven by the forthcoming renewal plan for Takoda Prep. This renewal plan is intended to “chart a course for Takoda Prep of AIOIC as it transitions from its current mode of operation into a program more deeply contextualized within Indigenous values and practices.” To implement this renewal plan, Takoda Prep will utilize the Seven Learnings for an Indigenized School (aka “The 7 L’s”) which include:

1. Learning Out-of-Doors
2. Learning in Community
3. Learning Across Generations
4. Learning in Redefined Spaces
5. Learning Leadership and Advocacy
6. Language Revitalization
7. Learning Indigenous Cultural Practices

During the 2017 summer school session, staff at Takoda Prep began to work towards the 7 L’s. To read more about this renewal plan, please read our recent press release, AIOIC’s Takoda Prep Nationally Recognized for Closing Achievement Gap.

The focus of this year’s summer school experience was native and indigenous plants. Some questions that drove this focus included the following: “What benefits do native plants have to humans and wildlife?”; “What native plants can we find right outside of school?”; “How do non-native plants affect the ecosystem?”; and “what are invasive species and why is it important to keep them under control?” In answering these questions, the students gained significant knowledge in plant parts and functions, nutritional needs of various indigenous plants, soils, and water, and the benefits of cultivating a garden.

In the process of gaining this knowledge, the students worked hard to weed, till, and plant donated native plants right outside of the school. The benefits of this new garden are multifold. Students who are involved in gardening at school get multidisciplinary opportunities on a daily basis, including biology, math, social studies, and even physical education. Soft skills are also addressed, such as interpersonal communication, organization, and time management. These valuable soft skills will be available to these students not only in the upcoming school year but also throughout their lives.

Another benefit to gardening at school is that it is an opportunity to connect with nature. In the urban setting that Takoda Prep is situated within, students don’t typically get a daily dose of nature. However, the therapeutic effects of engaging with the natural world have been proven over time. This directly relates to the first of the 7 L’s, Learning Out-of-Doors. “Through such direct interaction with the natural environment, students are afforded the opportunity to apply traditional teachings regarding responsibilities for stewardship of Mother Earth… .” Students will continue to reap the benefits of this garden and stewardship for years to come.

We were also able to connect as a community to the history of the space. If you have ever been to our campus at American Indian OIC, you may have noticed that our grounds are almost jungle-like in mid-summer! The lush vegetation provides a beautiful barrier from busy Cedar Avenue, and if you look closely, you can find many native plants. Sage, green onions, roses, ferns, and others are all among the beautiful outdoor classroom that is our campus. One lesson of summer school included the students venturing out onto the grounds and identifying the names of plants, whether or not they are native or invasive, and other scientific analyses. This deep interaction with the space in which these youths spend so much of their time connected them with the history and ecology of the area, but also forged their ownership over their space. These activities connect directly to leadership skills and the agency to advocate for their needs and goals (the fifth of the 7 L’s). Of course, the amount of physical and mental work this project required perhaps seemed daunting to the students at first, However, once the class finished the garden, they took a step back and could feel a deep sense of pride over their accomplishment.

Finally, the students took a field trip to Bdote (Fort Snelling) to identify plants and learn from a larger space. Learning in Redefined Spaces (the fourth of the 7 L’s) was a fantastic opportunity to remove the restrictions of the traditional school space. The students were free to walk and look at their own pace, and they applied the many skills we had been learning each day at summer school. Bdote is particularly important in terms of learning environments, as it is considered of major spiritual and historical importance to the Dakota.

More information about the renewal plan of Takoda Prep will be forthcoming this fall. To find out more information about enrolling a student in Takoda Prep for the 2017-18 school year, please contact Chris Hubbard, Education Director, at (612)341-3358, ext. 158.

Minneapolis, Minn., June 30, 2017– Takoda Prep, the alternative high school located at the American Indian OIC, has been selected as a site of best practice in a national report on indigenized education for Urban Indians. Commissioned by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition in Seattle, Takoda Prep will be one of seven programs located in five different urban centers to be examined for harnessing culturally contextualized education and alternative learning methodologies to close the achievement gap between Native students and their white counterparts.

President and CEO of AIOIC, Dr. Joe Hobot has been commissioned to visit each program and write about their practices in a report due to be published in early Fall of 2017. Hobot says that “showcasing effective practitioners of culturally-contextualized education is critical to upholding Native values and traditions in the classroom, where Native history is often overlooked or rewritten, as well as highlighting the need for national and federal funding for these schools.”

Takoda Prep of AIOIC enrolls students who have fallen behind in the traditional educational setting and are at risk of dropping out. Located within the Little Earth neighborhood of Minneapolis, most students are Native American whose elders did not complete school. The graduation rate for American Indian students in Minneapolis is 36 percent. Through individualized education plans and culturally relevant programming, students at Takoda Prep graduation at a rate of 85 percent.

The mission of the American Indian OIC is to empower American Indians to pursue career opportunities by providing individualized education, training, and employment services in a culturally rich environment. The organization was founded in 1979 as a practical resource to respond to the considerable education and employment disparities faced by American Indians living in and around South Minneapolis. In the years since its founding, the AIOIC has built a workforce of over 20,000 people from the entire Twin City area and tribal nations across the country and is a nationally recognized leader in the workforce development field. Although it was founded to support people of Native descent, the American Indian OIC’s resources and programs are available to all persons regardless of race, creed, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Ivy Estenson at 612-341-3358 ext. 125 or email at ivye@aioic.org.

Each individual who enters the doors of American Indian OIC holds within them a story.

Although each of these stories is different – one common thread is constant during students’ time here: the strength of the support system that lies within these walls. This support system is  what keeps students coming back each day, and also what carries them across whatever finish line is their goal. Because of our small size and our commitment to give each individual the attention they deserve, we become an integral role in student success.

One recent graduate of the GED program, Sam, has been attending the programs here since 2012. He initially came to AIOIC because “it felt like home.” Sam grew up in the neighborhood. He had family member and friends who worked or attended school here. He felt comfortable in this space, and that’s what drew him to the program initially.

Sam’s road to this major life milestone has had its ups and downs. Attendance to the program has “been here and there. I was always working and making excuses.” But in the end, he always returned to the building that felt safe, welcoming, and supportive. No matter what, Sam knew he could pick up where he left off.

Though he has faced challenges, there have been a lot of positive aspects of his time at the AIOIC. He has seen many students come through who have wanted to give up, but staff members like Annessia Swann, ABE Director, and Leeann Nelson-White, Navigator, are always there to push students forward. “I was very close, like [other students], to giving up. They kept telling me to pull through and keep going, and I gave it my best shot.” It is incredible how much difference those words can make. A constant stream of support is truly what kept Sam motivated on a day to day basis.

Ultimately, it came down to a choice. Sam knew he had to be willing and motivated to make school a priority. Even though he always felt the need to be working, the choice to return to school was driven by the knowledge that when he completed his GED, a series of doors would be open that would never have been available without this credential. “I just didn’t want to continue working for minimum wage.”

Sam earned his GED in early March, but this is just the beginning of his journey. He will be attending school at Takoda Institute in the spring, enrolling in the Computer Support Specialists track. After that, he may move out of state to try something new. He also hopes to settle down, own his own place, and have a good paying job. All of these next steps are very attainable now that Sam has obtained his GED!

Another success story comes from the high school ,Takoda Prep. Jesse first came to AIOIC during the summer before his senior year. He was behind on credits, and his plan was to make up some credits and then return to his traditional high school to graduate with his class. However, things did not quite turn out as planned. Jesse was unable to stay focused. He didn’t feel supported by staff members, and the environment was not encouraging. At a mainstream high school, Jesse says, “you’re not being welcomed or getting the support or motivation from the staff.” Before he completely lost track, Jesse made an important decision: he returned to Takoda Prep to finish up his last few credits.

“There were times I actually liked coming to school,” Jesse said of his time at Takoda Prep. He felt like the environment and staff members really helped him stay productive. Every day that he came to school he felt supported and welcomed by teachers. Jesse said that it doesn’t take much: just encouragement and support to get their work done and succeed. That looks different for every student, but Jesse is right. Most of the time a student simply needs to feel like they are heard and have a place.

His grandfather was also a crucial person in his support system. Originally from Red Lake, his grandfather has lived in Washington D.C. for quite some time. However, he would still speak with his grandfather almost daily about staying on top of responsibilities and finishing school. “Having him reach out to me from all the way over there really means a lot.” Those frequent conversations the two had were a definite incentive for Jesse to finish up and make his grandfather proud.

In the fall, he will be attending school at MCTC to study business management and ideally would like to be a blackjack dealer. Eventually he would like to be in higher management, but right now Jesse wants to try out working in a casino to see just what role he would like to land in. He may move to D.C. to be with his grandfather to experience a new city.

His advice to current students is simple. “Don’t fall behind and don’t procrastinate. Keep on top of your work! Once you get everything done, then you can kick back and relax.”

The formula is this: the motivation from within, with an added dose of support from the welcoming environment at AIOIC. That’s all these two men needed to succeed.

-Written by Takoda Prep Instructor Christy Hicks