August 3, 2020
Starting the Fall semester, CSUN students will help with an after-school tutoring program run by the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. Their work will be financed by a $5,000 grant from the CSU Native American Initiative. That program awarded grants this year to several CSU campuses to promote the recruitment and retention of American Indian students.
The tutoring program is run by the Education and Cultural Learning Department of the Tataviam, which is housed in the Tribal Administration Offices in San Fernando. It offers three hours of after-school tutoring in most subjects for students enrolled in elementary, middle, and high school. The tutoring will occur online, since the Los Angeles Unified School District decided this summer to offer online-only classes in the Fall. Most classes at CSUN will be held online during the Fall semester.
The grant will pay the CSUN students an hourly wage for the tutoring sessions each week. The CSUN tutors will be selected from students are who active in the American Indian Studies Program or the American Indian Student Association.
"We are really happy to receive this grant. It will help CSUN students financially during the pandemic, and it will help the Education and Cultural Learning Department achieve its goal of helping American Indian students academically," said Scott Andrews, director of the American Indian Studies Program. "I thank the CSU American Indian Initiative for supporting this effort, and I thank the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians for letting us partner with them."
The Education and Cultural Learning Department's goals include:
- Improving American Indian student academic achievement
- Increasing the number of American Indian students attending college
- Creating a young generation of future leaders to positively impact their community
- Reaffirming cultural values and identity
Last year's program had about 15 students, ranging from 4th to 10th grade.
Parents or guardians of American Indian children in the LAUSD who are interested in the program can contact Tataviam Tribal Administration at 818-837-0794 or by e-mail at this link. For information, visit the Education and Cultural Learning Department website.