The Cherokee Nation Education Services’ Native American Teacher Retention Initiative (NATRI) program, Cherokee Culture to Classroom, provides a multi-year professional development program to current Native American educators wherein participants work together to create culturally-relevant and historically accurate lessons and activities to curriculum aligned with the Oklahoma State Academic Standards. The program kicked off with a thirteen (13) person Cherokee Cultural Continuity Commission enriched by perspectives from retired educators, tribal elders, and cultural stewards who met for several months identifying Cherokee lifeways and proposing potential integration into the classroom. Thirty (30) educators from the Cherokee Nation reservation and beyond were selected to participate in this program based on responses to a country-wide applicant search.
These teachers will continue working together for the next two (2) years to develop lessons and activities, increasing their own connection to their tribal communities and reigniting their passion for classroom instruction. Once developed and appropriately branded, these lessons and activities will be freely available for teachers across the world.
Our teacher cohort is full at this time. Should a spot open, applications will be made available.
Contact info
Cindy Atwell, Project Director Cindy-Atwell@cherokee.org (918) 453-5000 ext. 5980
Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Indian Education. The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, this content does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.
