ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Advanced Educational Opportunities Mission Statement

AEO collaborates with elders, educators, leaders, and educational entities to promote the well-being of our tribal community by building the scholarly and leadership capacity of our students.

Advanced Educational Opportunities Goals

• Increase tribal members’ awareness and pursuit of post-secondary educational opportunities.
• Develop and provide comprehensive academic support for students, especially those in grades 7-12 and in college.
• Create a cadre of young professionals who will provide leadership for our tribal community.

Advanced Educational Opportunities Services

• Scholarships
• Academic Advising
• Our Future
• College Internship
• ANEP Grant for Grades 7-12
• Coming Soon: Native Issues Forum

Advanced Educational Opportunities Links of Interest

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• College Navigator

Scholarships

The AEO program provides supplementary scholarships to students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs.  The program offers regular and merit based scholarships and requires undergraduates to maintain a 2.0 GPA and graduate students to maintain a 3.0 GPA.  Current and prospective students can also receive academic and career advising by making an appointment to meet with the Tribal Education Specialist.

The deadline for scholarship application submissions for the 2010-2011 academic year (including Summer 2010) has passed. Applications can still be submitted but will not be considered until after all complete and on-time applications are reviewed first. If you have questions or concerns, please contact an AEO staff member.

If you received AEO scholarship assistance during the2009-2010 academic year, please complete the 2010-2011 KICAEO Continuing Student Application.

All others, please submit the 2010-2011 KICAEO New Student Application.

Stay updated on KIC scholarship news, as well as financial aid and other college-related information, join the AEO listserv by emailing Cara Wallace and requesting to join the AEO listserv, which provides weekly announcements, scholarship information, and other opportunities through email.  Parents, students, and all other interested parties are invited to join the list-serv.

Scholarships for Native Students

• American Indian Graduate Center
• Fastweb
• Intertribal Timber Council

• Sealaska Heritage Institute Scholarship
• American Indian Education Foundation
• Catching the Dream Scholarship
• ANB/ANS Camp 14 Scholarship
• American Indian College Fund
• PCUSA Native American Education Grant
• Accenture Scholarship
• Association on American Indian Affairs
• Society of American Indian Government Employees
• National Center for American Indian Enterprixe Development
• Native American Finance Officers Association
• American Indian Services Scholarship
• Indigenous Early Intervention Alliance

  Academic Advising

Make an appointment to meet with the Tribal Education Specialist to discuss your future plans.  Whether you are wondering if college is the right step for you or you have a specific college in mind and are ready to apply, AEO can assist you.  Appointments are encouraged.

Our Future

Our Future is a program for students (grades 10-12) who are planning to attend college after high school graduation. Student participants benefit from academic, social and cultural support, as well as a peer network of other college-bound Native students.

The goal of Our Future is to increase the number of Native students from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District pursuing post-secondary education by increasing their knowledge and understanding of the college experience, including the college admissions and financial aid processes. In addition, the program will incorporate cultural knowledge into its curriculum, which is as equally important as post-secondary education for tomorrow’s Native scholars and leaders.

Our Future will be available for elective credit at the high school level during the 2010-2011 school year. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to participate. Students will prepare for and complete the entire admissions and financial aid application processes and benefit from individualized college counseling from community professionals. From start to finish, this class will help any college-bound student pursue his or her maximum potential. Participating students will also have the chance to go on a college tour during spring break.Ifyou are interested in enrolling in the class (available for elective credit at the high school) please contact your guidance counselor to add the course to yourclass schedule. If you have questions about the program, please contactANEP staff at KIC. Our Future is generously supported by ED Alaska Native Educational Programs grant.

  College Internship

KIC’s AEO Internship Program aims to develop the intellectual, professional and leadership capacity of our tribal community’s future leaders through exploration of Alaska Native history, as well as the social, economic, legal and political issues that face indigenous peoples. Interns, under supportive supervision, participate in meaningful work experience, complete research projects that will directly impact our tribal community. Interns are scholars who have a demonstrated commitment to providing leadership in Native communities. Interns are expected to work 40 hours per week for the duration of the 10 week program.

2009 Intern/Project Cameron Taylor/Tribal Needs Assessment

  ANEP Grant for Grades 7-12

Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) has been awarded a competitive multi-year $689,233 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The grant’s goals include: ascertaining and decreasing the dropout rate of Alaska Native students in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District (KGBSD); and, increasing their pursuit of post-secondary education and training opportunities. The grant provides for individual and group tutoring at the middle school and high school levels, the creation of tribally-initiated Construction Technology courses, and the expansion of an existing college preparatory program sponsored by the Tribe which will allow students to participate in academic enrichment programs and visit colleges. “We purposely wrote the grant to include both a vocational and college track for students,” says Cara Wallace, Project Manager. “We wanted to inspire all Alaska Native students to maximize their potential.”

The Tribe plans to work collaboratively with Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District , University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan , and the Organized Village of Saxman to accomplish the goals of the grant. All three entities offered letters of support for the grant application submission.

The grant began on September 1, 2009 and will end on August 31, 2012. The Tribe is partnering with KGBSD to deliver services and plans to be in the schools at the start of the new year.

“This grant will provide our community with much needed information and services,” says John Brown, Tribal Education Director. “Alaska Native youth persist at disproportionately low rates compared to their non-Native peers. Yet, we know they are bright, capable, and offer important cultural perspectives and knowledge to the classroom. We are confident the tribally-initiated educational services provided by this grant will be successful because they recognize and celebrate Alaska Native students’ strengths. We look forward to working with students, families, schools, and the community to encourage and inspire Alaska Native youth to persist and succeed.”

Stay tuned! More information coming soon.

  Native Issues Forum

The Native Issues Forum provides a venue for students, tribal leaders, elders, professionals, culture bearers, educators, and others to come together for the purpose of discussing contemporary Native issues. Issues range from: Native dropout rate, subsistence rights, language revitalization, self-governance, wellness, and more. The Forum is held on the first Monday of every month during the lunch hour and features a panel of experts who will address the issues and allows time for interactive dialogue. The public is welcome to attend.

Native Issues Forum will resume in September 2010.