Building a strong sense of ethnic and racial identity is a crucial part of youth development. Schools can play an important role in identity affirmation to promote mental well-being and strong academic outcomes. In this audiocast, you’ll hear about how the Native American Community Academy integrates a few strategies — land-based learning, storytelling, morning blessings, and a strong focus on cultural history — with high expectations for academic teaching and learning.
Resources to Share
- Making Connections: Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
Edutopia held this Q&A with Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain, an overview of how to implement culturally responsive teaching in the classroom.
- Positive Youth Development, Racial, and Ethnic Socialization
This panel conversation between Dr. Joanna Lee Williams of Rutgers University and Dr. Virgil Moorehead and Chris Shaw of Two Feathers Native American Family Services explores the concept of racial salience – or the extent to which race plays a role in self-concept – for Native American youth and other youth of color.
- What Are Social and Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education — and What Do They Have to Do with Critical Race Theory?
Two broad approaches to ensuring equity in education have gained traction: social and emotional learning and culturally responsive and sustaining education (CRSE). Both approaches have recently been called into question in some states and districts for their perceived connections to critical race theory (CRT). This brief explains each of these concepts, how each one relates to addressing issues of equity, and how SEL and CRSE are distinct from the academic framework of CRT.
By the Numbers
Native American Community Academy
| Location | Albuquerque Public Schools, Albuquerque, NM |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | 475 |
| Student Demographics |
|
| Geographic Setting | Urban |
| Grades Served | K - 12 |
| School Model | Public Charter School |
| Conditions for Equitable Learning & Development | Personal, Learning Environment |
*Student Demographic data sourced from public.tableau.com and nces.ed.gov. NCES lists Latinx as “Hispanic” and Native American as “American Indian.”