Cultural Connections March 2024 Update
Cultural Connections, ESU 2’s US Dept. of Education’s Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program’s Accessing Choices in Education is now 2/3 of the way through the 2023-24 schoolyear. ESU 2, our Tribal partners from the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes and our school district partners Bancroft-Rosalie, Homer, Pender, Emerson-Hubbard, Tekamah-Herman, Lyons-Decatur, and Oakland-Craig continue to provide culturally relevant student opportunities, supports, and educational choice for Native American students and their families.
This year Project Director Dr. Chris Stogdill has been joined by long-time Bancroft Rosalie school counselor Ronda Ras.
Highlights for 2023-24 include:
• As of March 1, there were 467 requests, representing 626 students. Direct services started on October 1, 2021.
• Cultural Connections has contracted with Homer Community School and Bancroft Rosalie Public School for the schools to provide mentoring, tutoring, and student success services.
• Literacy resources and additional culturally relevant home resources purchased and distributed to the districts.
• Beading session at Bancroft-Rosalie after school program.
• Additional students have completed their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) courses and are preparing for their certification test. They are following other students who successfully completed the coursework and exam last year.
• As part of our 2023-24 kick off there were events in Bancroft-Rosalie, Emerson-Hubbard, Homer, Lyons-Decatur, Oakland-Craig, Pender and Tekamah-Herman. These were attended by 36 parents, 45 students and eleven school district administrators.
• Being a Native American Indian in the 21st Century Conference – October 25, 2023
• Beading and ledger art workshop at the Neihardt Center February 17, 2024, 11 am to 1 pm
• Post-secondary options overview presentation at O-C, Homer, L-D, and B-R
• Photography workshop at Tekamah-Herman.
• Social Media presentation at Homer Community School on December 13.
• Food Sovereignty workshop at Tekamah-Herman.
• January 2 at Bancroft-Rosalie – Food Sovereignty workshop with Chef Anthony Warrior
• January 3 at Lyons-Decatur NE – Food Sovereignty workshop with Chef Anthony Warrior
• Created a Google Document of Scholarship Opportunities shared with counselors.
• Coordination of Internships
We look forward to finishing the 2023-24 school year strongly and launching into our summer activities. Please be on the lookout for summer 2024 activities in the next month or so.