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Second Region 16 Cohort in the NECP Completes First Year

Culturally sustaining practices are key to creating equitable educational environments — but where do we start in a system designed to assimilate Indigenous students? In 2022, Region 16 Comprehensive Center sponsored 33 students in the University of Washington’s Native Education Certificate Program (NECP). They completed their first year of the program in July 2023. We sponsored 28 leaders from eight …

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Share Our Voices, Hear Our Stories: Celebrations of Spring

Forum Overview Share Our Voices, Hear Our Stories is a series of forums designed to convene Native American and Alaska Native students and families to inform efforts to create an education system where Native students can thrive in Washington. The Region 16 Comprehensive Center (R16CC), one of the 19 centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support states …

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Building Capacity in Washington Tribal Education Programs

Together, Region 16 Comprehensive Center and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Office of Native Education have cleared brighter pathways for Native learners and their families in Washington state. In 2020, Region 16 was approached by the National Comprehensive Center to participate in a four-state pilot of their newly developed process, Circles of Reflection. The Circles of Reflection is …

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Share Our Voices, Hear Our Stories: Celebration

Forum Overview On May 4, 2022, R16CC delivered the fourth and final session in the second year of the virtual Share Our Voices, Hear Our Stories forums. The forum’s theme was “Celebration.” The series brings together Native parents, families, students, and elders as an opportunity to connect, hear from respected leaders and elders, and provide guidance on the direction of …

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Our Future: Rooted in Culture, Family, and History

Our children are our future, and their future is rooted in our present and past: our cultures, families, communities, and histories. The resources on this page center on supporting Indigenous students and families navigating intergenerational trauma and suicidal ideation. Abstract: McQuaid et al. found that intergenerational exposure to traumatic historical experiences such as residential schools contributed to increased risk of suicidal …

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Share Our Voices, Hear Our Stories: Misperceptions

Forum Overview As part of its Share Our Voices, Hear Our Voices program, on February 2, 2022, the Region 16 Comprehensive Center held the second event of the year for Native American parents, families, and students to help inform Native Education in Washington State. The forum’s theme was “Misperceptions.” Opening Session Jeremy Rouse (Yankton Sioux) provided the opening prayer. Jon …

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Native Education Certificate Program Ready for Next Wave of Educators

In August 2020, a group of 25 educational professionals including ESD administrators, classroom teachers, and district specialists, began participation in the two-year University of Washington Native Education Certificate Program (UW NECP) as a part of Washington’s R16CC State Service Plan. This subset of learners is committed to expanding the capacity and understanding of our state’s ESDs and school districts through …

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Rise & Thrive: Regions 16 and 17 to Co-Host NW RISE Annual Convening

Region 16 Comprehensive Center (R16CC) and Region 17 Comprehensive Center (R17CC) are partnering this spring to support rural educators across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Washington at the NW Rise Annual Convening. The convening is centered around thriving. The convening is designed to help rural educators find a pathway from barely surviving to thriving — and helping their students, in turn, to do …