Indian Education Program

The Saint Paul Indian Education program was created as a supplemental program of Saint Paul Public Schools in 1973 in response to the 1972 Indian Education Act. The initial purpose of the program was to provide supportive counseling and tutoring for American Indian students and their parents. In the early nineties the program increased its focus on language and cultural connection to improve the academic success of American Indian students. In 1992 the focus increased to include post-secondary planning and outreach efforts to eligible students who most needed assistance. The American Indian Education Program provides services to students; including parents and families.

To assist American Indian students in graduating from high school with a quality education and a positive cultural personal identity.

The American Indian Education Program provides services to students, parents and families. All services are supplemental to existing services or are services not provided by another school program. American Indian Education Program services may be provided to any American Indian student who is:

• An enrolled member of a tribe, band or other organized group, including Alaskan Natives.
• The child or grandchild of a member of a tribe, band or other organized group. 

JOM

The Johnson-O'Malley Program is authorized by the Johnson-O'Malley Act of 1934 and the implementing regulations are provided in Part 273 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  As amended, this Act authorizes contracts for the education of eligible Indian students enrolled in public schools and previously private schools. This local program is operated under an educational plan, approved by the BIE, which contains educational objectives to address the needs of the eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Johnson O’Malley programs offered to American Indian and Alaska Native students vary and may include such programs as culture, language, academics and dropout prevention. 

Eligible applicants are tribal organizations, Indian corporations, school districts or States with eligible American Indian and Alaska Native children attending their schools or public school districts that have established Indian Education Committees to approve supplementary support programs that benefit American Indian and Alaska Native students.  Eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students are enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe or at least one-fourth or more degree of Indian blood descendant of a member of a federally recognized Indian tribal government eligible for services from the Bureau.  In addition, eligibility requires these children be between age 3 through grades 12, with priority given to children residing on or near an Indian reservation. 

Title VI

It is the policy of the United States to fulfill the federal government's unique and continuing trusted relationship with and responsibility to the Indian people for the education of Indian children. The federal government will continue to work with local educational agencies and individual tribes and organizations, post-secondary institutions and other entities toward the goal of ensuring that programs that serve individual children are of the highest quality and provide for not just the basic elementary and secondary educational needs, but also the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of these children.

The Office of Indian Education provides information, resources, support and oversight to district, charter, and tribal contract schools throughout the state of Minnesota, and is responsible for or collaborates with the following programs:

• American Indian Education Aid and Indian Education Program Plans
• Minnesota Indian Teacher Training Program (MITTP)
• Tribal Contract School Equalization
• Tribal Early Childhood Family Education
• American Indian Parent Advisory Committees (AIPAC)
• ESSA Tribal Consultation
• The Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship

Our goal is to provide meaningful, intentional, and targeted educational opportunities to every American Indian student, while at the same time fostering cultural identity and pride. We work closely with the Tribal Nations Education Committee (TNEC) and the Minnesota Indian Education Association (MIEA) and consult and collaborate with these 11 distinct Ojibwe and Dakota Communities:
 

• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Lower Sioux Indian Community
• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
• Prairie Island Indian Community
• Red Lake Nation
• Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
• Upper Sioux Indian Community
• White Earth Nation

The American Indian Education Program provides services to students, parents and families. All services are supplemental to existing services or are services not provided by another school program. American Indian Education Program services may be provided to any American Indian student who is:

• An enrolled member of a tribe, band or other organized group, including Alaskan Natives.
• The child or grandchild of a member of a tribe, band or other organized group. 

Cultural Enrichment

• Groups on American Indian history, cultural identity, traditions,heritage, crafts, arts and literature standards and field trips. Provided to American Indian Students K thru 6th in several schools.
• Dakota/Lakota Language instruction. Social Studies standard. Offered through the American Indian Studies Program to students attending American Indian Magnet School and Harding Senior High.
• Cultural in-service for school staff
• Language Knowledge Bowl Competition. Teams of American Indian Studies students participate from American Indian Magnet School and Harding Senior High.
• Sewing Society, open to students, families, and community members

Social Service Staff

• Work with district staff on best practices for American Indian Intervention Strategies
• Consultation with parents via home, school, and phone contacts; providing advocacy and referral. District wide service to American Indian parents and students.
• Assist school team and family to work together to improve academic success, school attendance and the social emotional function of American Indian students in Saint Paul Public Schools

Chemical Prevention K-12

• Preventative CD awareness groups utilizing "Project Alert" curriculum for grades 6-9
• Sobriety support groups grades 9-12
• "Families of Tradition" workshops for family members of our students.
• Recognition for American Indian Families within the program.
• One on one counseling for students and family members.
• Chemical prevention information within the schools to students and staff.
• Referrals/liaison to community chemical dependency programs.

Post Secondary Planning Program

• Advocacy, liaison services and counseling.
• Inservice parents and District staff on post secondary and financial aid.
• Assistance in obtaining financial aid.
• Coordinate college field trips.
• Coordinate college representatives to visit high schools.

Fill out this form to request assistance from the SPPS Indian Education Program.

Our office is located at 65 E. Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, MN, 55102

Please Use the Minnesota Street entrance to access our office. After 4 p.m., call the office phone (651-293-5191) for door service. Please bring you parking ticket in the office so it can be validated. Validation is only good if you park in the Capital City Parking Ramp. The ramp is located on the same block as Creative Arts Secondary School. Ramp can also be accessed from the north on 4th Street.