Native American Youth Programs Receive More than $1 Million from AT&T to Help Students Graduate and Succeed in College
Initiatives Established with the American Indian College Fund and George Washington University Expand Educational Opportunities
To commemorate Native American Heritage Month, AT&T is furthering its commitment to Indian Country with more than $1 million dollars in contributions to connect Native youth to education that leads them to the 21st century workforce. The contribution includes $600,000 to the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) and $450,000 to George Washington University (GW).
For the past 23 years, AT&T has set out to help Native American students graduate from high school and get to college. Native Americans have the lowest high school graduation rates of any demographic in this country. To combat this, AT&T contributed $7.5 million over the last 5 years to support education in the Native community.
This more than $1 million contribution will build on the company’s long history of support for the communities of Indian Country.
- The goal of the College Fund is to increase the number of American Indian students who graduate from high school. They also aim to grow a college-going culture among Native American students.
- The contribution will serve about 700 Native students at 3 tribal colleges (TCUs) and local high schools in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arizona.
- Working with TCUs will connect Native students to programs and supportive services. These help them finish high school, pursue higher education, and thrive in the 21st century knowledge economy.
- GW will establish AT&T Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy, its first-ever politics and public policy center dedicated to indigenous learnings.
- The GW Native American Political Leadership Program will continue to provide a semester in Washington, D.C. for Native American college students.
- The AT&T sponsored GW Native American INSPIRE Pre-College Program is a full scholarship open to Native American high school students. They spend 3 weeks on the GW campus to learn about relations between tribal governments and the federal government.
“American Indians face many unique challenges to getting an education. And Native youth experience some of the lowest high school graduation rates nationwide,” said Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO, American Indian College Fund. “This continued support from our longtime collaborator, AT&T, will allow the College Fund to help more students get a high school diploma and access postsecondary education alongside opportunities to learn about their language, culture and history.
“We’re excited to establish a unique center in Washington, D. C., to study Native American politics and policy, and we are grateful for AT&T’s support,” said Ali Eskandarian, dean of GW’s College of Professional Studies. “This is an important opportunity for the university in its continued commitment to diversity."
The Native high school graduation rate in 2013-14 was 69.6 percent, the lowest high school graduation rate of any demographic in this country. The national high school graduation rate was 82.3 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. The contribution from AT&T seeks to help Native students overcome these barriers.
Other examples of the company’s commitment to enhancing the education and quality of life for Native American youth include:
- Murrow Indian Children’s Home, a program that recruits inter-tribal elders and trains them to serve as foster grandparents and cultural mentors to children living at the Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Muskogee, Okla.
- The College Fund internship program worked with AT&T to identify and recruit candidates from tribal colleges and universities for internships for the summer of 2016. The company is currently seeking 2017 interns.
- Seminole State College's President's Leadership Class provides freshmen and sophomore students educational and cultural experiences to better prepare them for the workforce upon college graduation.
- Project Circle Teacher helps low-income Native American high school students at reservation schools receive instruction in mathematics.
- Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation in South Dakota funds books and school supplies for graduates of the Indian University of North America Summer Program.
- National Center for American Indian Organizations works to advance the economic interests of Indian Country.
- Oyate Networking Project on the Pine Ridge Reservation to help fund school supplies for 500 Native American students.
“AT&T has a long history of supporting Indian Country, and we’re proud to be a part of initiatives that are improving Native communities’ quality of life by creating the leaders and workforce of tomorrow,” said Tom Brooks, vice president of external affairs, AT&T. “The latest contributions continue AT&T’s commitment to supporting and connecting Native American communities and building a diverse pipeline of tech talent."
