Announcements

CNE to Announces Walatowa as Newest Early College

SEATTLE— The Center for Native Education, located in Seattle, is proud to announce its selection of Walatowa High Charter School in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico as its 12th early college for Native youth. As part of the nationally expanding initiative, Walatowa is eligible to receive up to $400,000 in funding from the CNE.

Funded in part by a $12 million, eight-year Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education, early college high schools aim to increase the number of Native students who graduate and go on to college. History-making partnerships between tribal, high school and college stakeholders allow early college students the opportunity to earn up to two years of college credit while still in high school.

“We are delighted to expand our new high school model into the Southwest,” Center of Native Education Executive Director Linda Campbell said. “We are impressed by the commitment to education that the people of Jemez Pueblo have exemplified in their VISION 2010 Plan and at Walatowa.”

Walatowa High Charter School fills a need in a district that struggles with only 29 percent of its 11th grade American Indian students meeting or exceeding proficiency on state reading assessments—a figure that compares to an overall 58 percent in New Mexico. On state math assessments, 18 percent of the district’s Native students were proficient, compared with 31 percent of all New Mexico’s 11th graders.

Early colleges for Native youth, on average, experience a 32 percent increase in state reading scores and a 15 percent increase on math scores upon entering the early college for Native youth network.

“Our hope is that through this early college exposure, our youth can make a seamless transition after high school, be successful in the college and field of their choice, and develop the tools and skills to preserve and protect our culture and language while advancing the interests of our tribe into the future,” said Jemez Pueblo Governor Raymond Gachupin.

CNE to September Orientation

September Orientation
Saturday, September 13, 2008
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (breakfast served at 8:30)
Antioch University Seattle Denny Building
2326 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121

Information on topics coming soon!

RSVP to Teresa Johnson at tjohnson@antiochseattle.edu or at (206) 268-4137 no later than September 10, 2008.