Little Big Horn College Awarded ANA Grant for Crow Language Immersion School
Chickadee Lodge Apsáalooke Language Immersion Kindergarten to open January 3
CROW AGENCY, Montana — Little Big Horn College has been awarded a three-year Administration of Native Americans (ANA) grant to launch Chickadee Lodge, a new Apsáalooke Language Immersion Kindergarten for 20 Crow Indian children at Crow Agency Elementary School. The first day of classes will be Wednesday, January 3.
Two information sessions for parents will be held at the LBHC Cultural Center on Wednesday, December 13 at noon and at 4:00 pm. Kindergarten student applications will be available at the information sessions, at the Collegeʻs Dean of Academics Office, and available for download on the college website www.lbhc.edu. Completed applications are due on Monday, December 18.
“The Chickadee Lodge is our best hope for the children of this generation becoming Apsaalooke Language speakers” said David Yarlott, LBHC President. “We are honored and privileged to have this chance to educate our Kindergarten through second grade students entirely in the Crow Language.”
Little Big Horn College partnered with Hardin Public Schools to situate the Chickadee Lodge Kindergarten in the Crow Agency Elementary School. In this educational setting, the kindergarten children will have access to the school campus and to features that include the school assemblies, library, parent involvement and physical education facilities. Crow Agency Elementary School principal Jason Cummins serves as an advisor to the Chickadee School, along with LBHC education faculty member Sharon Stewart Peregoy and Crow Studies faculty member Tim McCleary.
Little Big Horn College worked with the Crow Language Consortium and The Language Conservancy to secure funds, develop curriculum and materials, and do community outreach for the new school. The Crow Language Consortium is a collective of Crow schools, colleges, and educators working to revitalize the language through curriculum and textbook development and teacher training at the Crow Summer Institute. The Language Conservancy is a non-profit organization that helps develop language revitalization programs and materials for Native American tribes and schools.
For more information:
chickadeelodge.org
facebook.com/chickadeelodgeschool
The Chickadee Lodge Apsáalooke Language Immersion School is designed to ensure the survival of the Crow (Apsáalooke) Indian language and culture for future generations of the Crow Nation. Beginning in January 2018, The Chickadee Lodge will provide Apsáalooke-language immersion education for 20 Kindergarten students in Year 1, 40 Kindergarten and First-Grade students in Year 2, and 60 Kindergarten, First-Grade, and Second-Grade students in Year 3. www.chickadeelodge.org
The Language Conservancy (TLC) is the non-profit leader specializing in Native American language revitalization. TLC partners with Native American tribes and schools to develop comprehensive language programs, including dictionaries, textbooks, children’s books, digital apps, teacher trainings and assessment testing. TLC also advocates for saving endangered languages through public relations, community outreach and media. www.languageconservancy.org
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CONTACT:
Little Big Horn College | Chickadee Lodge Staff
Main number: (406) 638-310
• Janine Pease (Chickadee Lodge Principal), peasej@lbhc.edu
• David Yarlott (President of Little Big Horn College), davidyarlott@lbhc.edu
• Frederica Lefthand (Dean of Academics), lefthandfv@lbhc.edu
The Language Conservancy
Mitchell Teplitsky (PR Director)
(917) 449-2745, mitch@languageconservancy.org
