DECEMBER 1, 2003
Smoke Signals 11
Education Press Release:
I r
r
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has
been awarded a prestigious Institute of Museum
& Library Services (IMLS) Enhancement grant
for their Library located in the new Education
Center in Grand Ronde, OR. Thanks to this
grant from the federal IMLS the Education Di
vision Library will be able to provide expanded
Library service offerings, will increase collec
tion holdings and will hire a 23 time Librarian
and a part time Library development consultant.
"The Education Division Library has grown in collection holdings from
two shelves of books just ten years ago to a collection of over 1500 items.
The collection growth is due largely to the generosity of IMLS federal grants
with some individual donations of books and materials," said Tribal Educa
tion Division Manager, Marion Mercier.
"It is through the Tribal Council's commitment and generosity for com
munity improvement and Educational service offerings that a contempo
rary and technology equipped, 1420 sq. ft. Library Media Center was in
cluded in the newly constructed Education Center facilities that were com
pleted in 2002," Mercier said.
"The grants we make today will help Native American communities in
crease computer literacy, establish Tribal archives, advance their holdings
and programming for youth, adults, and Elders, and foster partnerships to
expand service to remote locations," said Robert Martin, Director of the
Institute. "The Native American Tribes receiving grants today are to be
commended for the services they provide to their communities and the model
they offer for libraries everywhere."
The IMLS Native American Service grant programs provide opportuni
ties for improved library services for an important, but often underserved,
part of the nation's community of library users. The program offers three
categories of grants to established libraries serving the needs of Indian tribal
communities and Alaska Native villages: Basic, Professional Assistance
and Enhancement grants.
IMLS, the federal grantmaking agency located in Washington, D.C. and
the Grand Ronde Tribe fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learn
ing by supporting museums and libraries.
GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP
(GMS) APPLY ONLINE
The Gates Millennium Scholars program is pleased to announce the launch
ing of its website for the 2004 - 2005 GMS awards. Apply online or download
nomination materials from www.gmsp.org. General information, detailed in
structions, and current scholar profiles can also be found on the website. Prin
cipals, teachers, guidance counselors, Tribal higher education representatives
and other professional educators are invited to nominate students with out
standing academic records, strong leadership potential, and commitment to com
munity service. Nominators and recommenders must act in their personal
capacity. Institutional nominations will not be accepted. All completed nomina
tion materials must be postmarked or submitted online no later than January
16,2004.
The Gates Millennium Scholars program was established in 1999 through a
grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide Asian Pacific
Islander Americans, African Americans, American IndiansAlaska Natives, and
Hispanic Americans with an opportunity to complete a college education. The
goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for
thousands of outstanding students with significant financial need, particularly
those intending to study mathematics, science, engineering, education or library
science, to reach their fullest potential. Additionally, GMS provides opportunities
for scholars to prepare for leadership roles in their profession and communities
through a leadership development program. GMS selected 1,000 high-achieving
students for the 2003-2004 academic year, bringing the total number of students
awarded GMS scholarships to more than 7,000 since the program's inception.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), with the support of the Organiza
tion of Chinese Americans (OCA), the American Indian Graduate Center Schol
ars (AIGCS), and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), administers the Gates
Millennium Scholars program.
Eligibility Criteria
In the 2004-2005 academic year, individuals are eligible to be considered for a
Gates Millennium Scholarship if they:
B are Asian Pacific Islander American, African American, Hispanic Ameri
can or American IndianAlaska Native;
B are a citizen, legal permanent resident or national of the United States;
B have a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale;
B will be entering a U.S. accredited college or university as full-time,
degree-seeking freshmen in the academic year 2003-2004;
B have demonstrated leadership commitment through participation in com
munity service, extracurricular, or other activities that reflect leadership abili
ties; and
B meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria. Eligibility for Federal Pell
Grant can only be determined though the submission of a Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education, Federal
Student Aid Programs .
Wellstone Fellowship For Social Justice
Families USA is proud to announce the creation of the Wellstone Fel
lowship for Social Justice to honor the late Senator Paul D. Wellstone of
Minnesota. Throughout his Senate career, Paul Wellstone built a reputa
tion as an advocate for social justice and as an outspoken champion for
those who lacked a voice in the national arena. The Wellstone Fellowship
provides a unique opportunity to honor Senator Wellstone's memory by
promoting equity in health care.
The Wellstone Fellowship is a year-long, full-time, salaried position that
will begin in September 2004. The fellow will be engaged in health care
advocacy work in Families USA's office in Washington, D.C, where he or
she will learn about Medicare, Medicaid, efforts to achieve universal cov
erage, and other important health policy issues. Specifically, the fellow
will be engaged in Families USA's outreach to and mobilization of commu
nities of color. Through this work, the fellow will also learn about con
ducting health care campaigns, and part of his or her time will be spent
working with state-based health care advocacy organizations.
For instructions on how to apply and a copy of the application form, click
here www.familiesusa.org. The deadline for applications is Febru
ary 6, 2004.
The ideal candidate will have an interest in social justice work and work
ing with communities or color. Additionally, we are looking for an indi
vidual who displays the potential to continue to contribute to social justice
work after their year of hands-on experience as a fellow. There is no bias
in favor of any academic discipline, though we prefer that the fellow have
a college degree as of September 2004. For more information, contact Mia
Strickland, Federal Relations Program Manager, American Indian Higher
Education Consortium, 121 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. E
mail at mstricklandaihec.org. Phone: 703-838-0400, ext. 104. Fax 703-838-0388.
Health Professions Scholarships Target
American Indians, Alaska Natives
HHS' Indian Health Service has announced the availability of $3.7 mil
lion in health professions scholarship funds for fiscal year 2004. The grants
are intended to encourage American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter
the health professions, and to assure the availability of Indian health pro
fessionals to serve Indians. Roughly 200 awards will be made under the
Health Professions Preparatory and Pregraduate Scholarship Programs
for Indians, where the average award for a full-time student is about
$20,000. About 240 awards will be made under the Indian Health Schol
arship Program, for which the average award for a full-time student is
about $23,500. The application deadline is February 28, 2004. For
more, see the notice in the Oct. 23 Federal Register at www.access.gpo.gov
sudocsfedrega03 1023c.html under Indian Health Service.
Washington Center's Native American
Leadership Program
MISSION
The Washington Center's Native American Leadership Program
prepares emerging Native Americans Indians leaders from colleges
and universities from across the country to assume leadership posi
tions in the public sector. Students participate in internships tai
lored to their interests, interact with successful government repre
sentatives, and develop their leadership skills.
PROGRAM GOALS
Encourage Native American Indians to consider an internship and
possible career with the federal government.
Identify and acquaint students with positive native American In
dian role models
Help students define personal, academic, and professional goals.
Integrate academic theory with professional experience for deeper
understanding of public policy formation and students' role in that
process.
Engage students in professional networking opportunities.
ACADEMIC COMPONENT
Students earn academic credit for a summer 10-week or spring and
fall 15-week internship program.
The Washington Center offers substantive coursework on under
standing the U.S. government, the public policy process. These
courses are tailored to the students' academic interests.
Students attend a regular lecture series to interact with national
and international leaders in business, government and the nonprofit
sector.
CONTACT THE WASHINGTON CENTER NATTVE AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Claudia Narrow, Manager, Federal
Diversity Initiatives Phone: 202-513-7527 or 1 800-486-8921 or e
mail at claudiantwc.edu.