The NISN School Design Fellowship seeks to co-develop pre-K–12 Indigenous schools over a three-year paid fellowship program. The schools are developed with Independent and Charter School frameworks in mind.
Fellows receive guidance, best practices, and mentorship from NISN staff to:
Develop community schools anchored in the four big ideas (Community-led, Academics, Holistic Wellness, Cultural Identity development);
Receive successful authorization;
Are ready to operationalize their community-led mission and vision and;
Prepared to implement their own Mission Driven Story Cycle;
A salary of $85,000 with benefits paid for by NISN for the length of participation in the three-year fellowship program.
Who is eligible?
Communities ready to establish community-led, public charter/independent school or convert their existing school from BIE to a tribally controlled school.
Learn more about what to include in your letter of interest:
CURRENT FELLOWS
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
Rain Turcotte
Ċanšayapí Lower Sioux Indian Community
Ryan Dixon
Vanessa Goodthunder, Sna Sna Wiƞ (Snah-Snah Weeƞ) comes from C̣aƞṡayapi (Chahƞ-shah-yah-pee), which means where they paint the trees red also known as the Lower Sioux Indian Community. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a Bachelor’s in U.S History and American Indian Studies-Dakota Language and has a Master’s of Educational Leadership and Administration from St. Cloud State University. Her passions are education, revitalizing the Dakota language, and working with Native youth.
Vanessa believes that language can help heal from historical trauma and has dedicated her life to learning and teaching her languages (Dakota and Dine). Vanessa has worked with the nonprofit organization called Daḳota Wic̣oḣaƞ (Dakota Way of Life) as both a youth participant and later, a language instructor supporting Dakota language curriculum development. She was the Aide to the Chief of Staff and Tribal Affairs Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith. She sits on the Lower Sioux Indian Community Education Committee. She helped open as the Director, the C̣aƞṡayapi Waḳaƞyeża Owayawa Oṭi (CWOO)- A Birth-5 Dakota Immersion School, the first Dakota Head Start in the State of Minnesota. She is currently serving as a NISN School Fellow to expand the school to grades K-4 in 2030.
Ċanšayapí Lower Sioux Indian Community
Vanessa Goodthunder
Dakota (Lower Sioux Indian Community) & Diné
Xinewh-ding: Hoopa Valley Tribe
Craig Merrick
Dakota Sioux & Northern Cheyenne
Menominee
Crystal Lepscier
Menominee
Deborah Lyons
SCHOOL DESIGN ALUMNI
Boyna Bear, 2016
Kayla Begay, 2013
Terri Bissonette, 2018
Lucía Verónica Carmona, 2016
Tracey Cordero, 2015
Cesar Cruz, 2019
Mike Dabrieo, 2014
Tiarra Little, 2018
Kimimila Locke, 2018
Ventura Lovato, 2016
Joey Martin, 2015
Marie Sweet Martinez, 2016
Blanca Adrianna Ontiveros, 2018
Zane Rosette, 2015
Alayna Eagle Shield, 2018
Erin Shije, 2018
Leroy "Buster" Silva, 2010
Valerie Siow, 2010
Gavin Sosa, 2009
Brett Stidham, 2016
Gwen Torivio, 2015
Lane Towery, 2014
