Newsletter                                                                                                  April 30, 2015
Message from the Director 

As we come to the conclusion of our tribal consultations on the proposed reorganization of BIE, I want to share an observation. We -- the BIE, tribal leaders, school officials, teachers, and parents -- all share a common interest in providing the best possible education for our students. Tribal consultation allows for a meaningful dialogue and is a place for ideas, solutions, new partnerships, and collaborations. This government-to-government exchange between BIE and tribes has inspired me to work harder for our students. This exchange, however, should not be just during tribal consultation meetings, it needs to be ongoing. With the reorganization of BIE, it is my goal to ensure a continual dialogue that supports innovative solutions. I look forward to listening to you as we strive to achieve our shared goal of improving educational outcomes for our students, in a way that honors tribal language, heritage and nation building.

 

Dr. Charles M. Roessel 

BIE Basics: Introduction to the BIE's Budget Process Webinar 

BIE will be conducting a webinar, BIE Basics: Introduction to the BIE's Budget Processto keep our stakeholders informed about the BIE. The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT.

 

During this 90-minute presentation, BIE Director, Dr. Charles Roessel; Ms. Vicki Forrest, Deputy Bureau Director, School Operations; and Dr. Joe Herrin, Financial Systems Specialist, will provide an overview of the purpose of and types of funding. They will cover the Indian School Equalization Program funds, Education Program Management funds, Administrative Support funds, the Department of Education funds, and more. Presenters will also explain the purpose of funds, funding flow, and the budget development process.

We recommend reviewing these resources before the webinar:
* Tribal Interior Budget Council
* Department of Interior Budget

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Time: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT

Webinar: Registration

 

For more information, please contact Wendy Greyeyes at (202) 208-5810 or at wendy.greyeyes@bie.edu .
Haskell Takes a Stand Against Campus Sexual Assault  
Haskell President, Dr. Venida Chenault, staff , students take ItsOnUs Pledge

Haskell Indian Nations University joined the White House, universities and organizations across the country to help put an end to sexual assault on college campuses by supporting the 'Its On Us' campaign. 


 

The 'Its On Us' campaign is a White House initiative aimed at engaging bystanders in preventing sexual assault. Learn more and take the pledge at: ItsOnUs.org

BIE Holds Tribal Consultations Across Indian Country

This week, BIE continues to hold its series of consultations on the proposed reorganization




of the BIE throughout Indian Country. These tribal consultation meetings provide Indian tribes, school boards, parents, Indian organizations and other interested parties with the opportunity to comment on the proposed reorganization developed following the release of the Secretarial Order 3334 and the American Indian Education Study Group's Blueprint for Reform.


 
Thus far BIE has hosted three consultation meetings onsite in Rapid City, SD; Nashville, TN; and Window Rock, AZ, and one online via webinar since April 22, 2015. The next consultation meeting will be held on Friday, May 1, 2015 in Oklahoma City, OK. 


I
nformation on the upcoming  tribal consultation session on the BIE reorganization is listed below: 

Date Time Location
Friday, May 1, 2015 8:00 am-5:00 pm
(Central)

Renaissance Oklahoma City

Convention Center Hotel

10 North Broadway Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

BIE Monthly Stakeholder Call 
Please join the BIE for our second monthly stakeholder call on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m EDT. These stakeholder calls, held on the first Tuesday of each month, are part of BIE's effort to improve communication and create an ongoing dialog among key stakeholders and BIE leadership about the proposed reorganization of BIE. We welcome your questions and feedback as we move forward with the BIE reorganization and work together to improve educational opportunities for Native youth.

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Time: 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Conference Line: 800-369-3381
Participant Passcode: 2472074

For more information, please contact Kim Vigue at kim.vigue@bie.edu.
White House Tribal Youth Gathering Accepting Applications from Native Youth

The White House has announced that it will host the first-ever White House Tribal Youth Gathering in Washington, DC, on July 9, 2015 to provide American Indian  and Alaska Native youth from across the country the opportunity to interact directly with senior Administration officials and the White House Council on Native American Affairs.


 
Applications are now being accepted for the July 9, 2015 Tribal Youth Gathering. The Tribal Youth Gathering will continue to build upon the President's  Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative and his commitment to improve the lives of Native youth across the country. Eight hundred youth will be selected from the application pool with the goal of seeking diverse representation from all of Indian Country. All youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a chaperone. All representatives will be responsible for their own expenses and chaperone support. The application deadline is May 8, 2015.


 
Eligibility Requirements:

  • Be 14-24 years of age (as of July 2015). 
  • All applicants must have accepted the White House Native Youth Challenge. To take the challenge, click here
  • All applicants must be interested in contributing to the betterment of the community. 
  • All applicants must commit to participate in all activities.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Graduation at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute 
Over 100 students received their Associates Degree at the   Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute's (SIPI) commencement ceremony on April 17, 2015.   United States Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-1) provided the commencement address at the SIPI Auditorium in Albuquerque, NM. SIPI is a National Indian Community College and Land Grant Institution, established in 1971, that provides career technical training and transfer degree programs to students from the Nation's 566 federally recognized tribes.  Congratulations to the 2015 graduates! 

    

 Haskell Indian Nations University Spring 2015 Commencement Ceremony
Haskell Indian Nations University is proud to announce the Spring 2015 Commencement Ceremony which will honor over two hundred graduates this year. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell will be the Keynote Speaker. U.S. Secretary Jewell, the 51st Secretary of the Interior, leads an agency of over 70,000 employees which has stewardship over 20 percent of the nation's lands, including the national parks. Secretary Jewell has committed to building nation-to-nation relationships with Indian Country and upholds trust responsibilities to all the federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.

Secretary Jewell will be the first Secretary of the Interior to speak at Haskell making her the highest-ranking administration official to speak at the Haskell Commencement Ceremony. Secretary Jewell is a graduate of the University of Washington. She and her husband, Warren, have two adult children, Peter, and Anne.

Haskell is commemorating its 130th year of providing education and opportunities to the Native American communities nationwide.

Location: Coffin Sports Complex, Haskell Indian Nations University, 155 Indian Avenue, Lawrence, Kan. 66046
Date & Time: 10:00 a .m. - 12:00 p.m. Friday May 8, 2015
BIE Teachers Achieve National Board Certification 
Congratulations to Elizabeth Brown, teacher, at the Mescalero Apache Elementary School; and Veronica Perez, teacher, at the Sky City Community School, for becoming National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT)! 

Brown and Perez became NBCT through BIE's partnership with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to provide professional development, support, and mentoring for BIE teachers and counselors who want to pursue National Board Certification (NBC).  The  goal of this initiative is to help BIE  teachers pursue certification, a rigorous, performance-based, peer-reviewed p roc ess that ensures teachers have the necessary skills to improve learning and academic achievement among students. 
Veronina  Perez

Elizabeth Brown
For more information about the BIE NBPTS partnership and NBC, contact David Brown at david.brown@bia.gov.
Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action 
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a guide, Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action, to help professionals who work with youth  develop effective strategies to prevent violent behavior rather than respond after it occurs.

The CDC's Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action and its companion guide,  Taking Action to Prevent Youth Violence , provide information and action steps to help all community members be part of the solution. These steps are key for community leaders, schools, public health professionals, families, and adults who work with youth to stop youth violence before it starts. 
Water Treatment Operator Training 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX is providing Water Treatment Operator Training at the Tribal Drinking Water Conference for Tribal, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and BIE water treatment facilities on May 18-22, 2015, in Sacramento, CA at the  Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. A block of rooms has been reserved at the federal per diem rate of $107 single/double, plus state and local taxes.  Please use the conference code, UTW, to receive the group rate.  

 

Travel to the Water Treatment Operator Training is considered training and should be documented as such when making your travel arrangements. To register for the training, contact the Tribal Operator Certification Program, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, at (602) 258-4822 or ITCA.

Bureau of Indian Education | 1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
 | (202) 208-6123 

www.bie.edu