SHI ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Deadline to submit proposals is April 16
April 3, 2018
(Online) (Submit a Proposal) (Conference Webpage)
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is accepting proposals from educators for breakout sessions to be held during its second Culturally Responsive Education Conference in Juneau this August.
The proposals should focus on one of three areas: place-based teaching and learning; early childhood culturally-responsive education practices; and equity in education. The deadline to submit proposals is April 16.
Proposals should be in presentation or interactive workshop format. Presenters are eligible for travel, lodging and an honorarium.
The three-day event, Our Cultural Landscape: Culturally Responsive Education Conference, will feature nationally-known keynote speakers, including Dr. Christopher Blodgett, Zaretta Hammond, Dr. Randall Lindsey and the Rev. Michael Oleksa.
The purpose of the conference, scheduled Aug 1-3 at the Juneau-Douglas High School, is to provide educators with a deep understanding of culturally-responsive education and equip them to transform their classrooms, pedagogy and curriculum to fully support all students’ success.
Ample research has shown the effectiveness of using culture- and place-based teaching resources and methods to improve academic achievement for Indigenous students, said SHI President Rosita Worl, noting a 2013 study on Juneau’s own Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy program also found a significant increase in the graduation rate of students initially enrolled in the program.
“Studies over the past three decades have shown that Native language and culturally-responsive programs are associated with improved academic performance, decreased dropout rates and improved school attendance,” Worl said.
The conference is part of SHI’s education program Thru the Cultural Lens, which gives cultural orientations for educators in the Juneau School District. SHI’s first cultural education conference was held in 2017 and drew about 140 educators from as far away as Nome and Fairbanks.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts social scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Amy Fletcher, SHI Media and Publications Director, 907.586.9116, amy.fletcher@sealaska.com
