Education Issue 7
Another Year of Growth and Student Success
SEPTEMBER 15,2005
One component of the Education
Division that offers assistance to
adult Tribal members is the Short
Term Training (STT) and Continu
ing & Distance Education (C&DE)
program. This program is available
to all Tribal members aged 18 or
older, regardless of residence or
financial need.
STTC&DE can support Tribal
members while they attend school
on a part-time basis, or while ob
taining short-term training for
employment-related skill train
ing, cultural enrichment and per
sonal or professional development.
Coursework may be through ac
credited community colleges and
universities, apprenticeship pro
grams, certification and licensing
programs, seminars, workshops
and conferences thereby provid
ing an opportunity for personal and
professional development that leads
to self-sufficiency, economic inde
pendence, and life-long learning.
Using Tribal funds, the STT
C&DE program supports partici
pants with payment of tuition, fees,
textbooks and required supplies.
Qualified applicants in the C&DE
program are eligible for up to $800
for undergraduate students and
$1,600 for graduate students per
termquarter. Students on a semes
ter system are eligible for funding
not to exceed $1,600 per 6 months
for undergraduate and $3,200 for
graduates. Qualified applicants in
the STT program are eligible for
up to $800 per termquarterthree
months.
For the 2004-2005 academic
school year, there were a total of
726 student enrollments by 374
individual Tribal members who
received STTC&DE program
services. Over the past two years,
this represents an average growth
rate of over 26 percent per year in
the number of enrollments, and an
over 21 percent per year increase in
number of individual Tribal mem
bers utilizing program services.
The STTC&DE Program had an
88 percent successful completion
rate for this past year.
Additionally, the program coordi
nates with Chemeketa Community
College to offer a variety of on-site
and CTV (video-feed from main
campus) classes throughout the
school year, and offers and supports
distance education, online and hy
brid classes through Oregon State
University and Portland State
University. Career Information
Services and educational counsel
ing and advising are available to
all Tribal members.
A variety of individualized class
es and workshops are also offered
throughout the year in response to
needs identified by Tribal members.
The STTC&DE program provided
these additional educational op
portunities by offering 17 special
interest classes during the 2004-
2005 school year, attracting an ad
ditional total enrollment of over 200
Tribal members, CTGR employees
and community members. A wide
range of topics covered professional
development, cultural education
and personal growth.
Applications to the STTC&DE
program can be submitted at any
time throughout the school year,
but the completed application
packet must be received no less
than 10 days prior to the start of
any school term or training period.
For more information on the Short
Term Training or Continuing &
Distance Education program, or
to receive an application packet
for either program, please contact
John Harp or Joshua Clift at 503-879-2275
or at 1-800-422-0232,
ext. 2275, or by email at John
Harpgrandronde.org or Joshua.
Cliftgrandronde.org.
Description of Program
The BIA Adult Education
Program provides assessment,
instructional services, and finan
cial support to Tribal members,
16 years of age or older, seeking
the GED, high school completion
and basic skills instruction. Also
included are classes covering life
skills, financial skills and cultural
awareness skills that strengthen
understanding of Tribal heri
tage. MissionPurpose
The mission of the Adult Educa
tion Program is to provide services
in a timely, efficient, cost effective
and consistent manner. Empha
sis is on open communication and
strategies to support and refer
students to further educational
and employment opportunities.
As students re-enter the educa
tional system through GED or
high school completion, they are
then able to pursue future oppor
tunities in short-term training,
continuingdistance education
and higher education. The GED
is the entry-level prerequisite for
school or work.
The Adult Education Program
seeks to fulfill the Tribe's mission
"to improve the quality of life for
Tribal people by providing op
portunities and services that will
build and embrace a community
rich in healthy families and ca
pable people with strong cultural
values." The Basic Skills Classes,
including financial literacy, life
skills and cultural classes, serve
to strengthen Tribal families' re
silience, abilities to meet financial
challenges and connections with
their Native American heritage.
Services offered to the com
munity are as follows:
GED Classes and Tutoring
Monday and Wednesday after
noons 1:30 - 4 p.m., available to
Tribal and non-Tribal members.
The GED classroom in the Educa
tion Division is open year round,
except for traditional holidays, of
fering classes tailored to student
needs with special emphasis on
the math and writing needed for
the GED test. Also available is a
basic budgeting, financial literacy
class.
Tutoring is offered at CTGR,
Portland, and Eugene (when re
quested) offices. Often one-on-one
or small group tutoring is more
effective and efficient in serving
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Joanne Carr
students' particular needs.
D Computer Lab The lab
is available for basic skill de
velopment, GED practice test
ing, resume writing, computer
keyboarding, MS Word and
MS Excel documents, Internet
research, CIS career search,
FAFSA financial aid form, and
the Rosetta StoneFrench and
Spanish instructional software.
The food handler's certification
is offered free to Tribal members,
who take the online class and pass
the exam.
GED and High School Com
pletion Costs Expenses for
GEDHSC registration, orienta
tion, tuition, classes and testing
are provided. Bus tickets are
available for students to attend
GEDHSC classes, as well as
transportation for CTGR students
registering or testing at the Mc
Minnville Chemeketa Center.
Assessment The Adult
Education Program provides
funding for a diagnostic testing
assessment, which may give a
student the ability to test with
various accommodations granted
by the state. These include the
following: double time, use of a
calculator, large-print, private
room, audio cassette, scribe and
frequent breaks.
Outreach Services The
Adult Education program strives
to encourage and support the
Tribal community outside the lo
cal Grand Ronde area. Services
are provided to the following
areas: Portland office, various
outreach campuses of Cheme
keta Community College and
Eugene.
Life Skills Program The
Life Skills class covers topics for
success such as time manage
ment, goal setting, relationship
building, breaking barriers, do
mestic violence and self-sufficiency.
Working with Social Services
and Vocational Rehabilitation,
the Adult Education Program can
provide Tribal members skills to
meet and positively address life's
challenges.
Culture Classes Classes
available to Tribal GED students,
Vocational Rehabilitation clients,
and the Tribal community reflect
the importance of addressing the
cultural component and pride in
the Native American heritage.
Presently a hand drum class
has been given in Portland and
in Grand Rpnde, and there have
been beading & leatherwork
classes for GED students in the
GR class and for Portland Tribal
members. Students have become
more aware and proud of their cul
ture, connected with other Tribal
members and become more active
in their educational pursuits.
Adult Education
Program
2004-2005
Accomplishments
GED classes offered every
Monday and Wednesday at
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Food Handler's class in com
puter lab - ongoing
Outreach GED tutoring in
Portland, Chemeketa cam
puses and Eugene
Culture classes in beading,
leatherwork and drum
making
Diagnostic Learning Assess
ment testing if recommended
20 GED graduates in the
Academic Year 2004-2005