Program Services Overview: Individualized tutoring and small group instruction A daily cultural arts program Youth Advocacy and Case Management College and Career Preparation Youth Leadership Sports and Nutrition Program Field Trips and Family Nights Annual Community Celebration Night for students, parents, staff and volunteers. Title VII

  Tutorial Programs 
Monday –Thursday students at IEC complete their daily homework assignments and long-term projects with the assistance of a tutor. We maintain 1:5 ratio - tutor to student(s). Each week there is a "Word of the Week” to help prepare for SAT tests and align with the California State Standards. Students who need individualized attention are assigned an adult to work with consistently. Our tutors are well-trained and able to provide embracive one-on-one attention to the youth. They also serve as mentors and give cultural guidance to the students. Many American Indian youth are experiential learners so our tutors and staff are trained in and practice alternative teaching methods.

  Cultural Arts Program 
Through the participation in cultural arts activities and traditional American Indian ceremonies, students will deepen their understanding and sense of identity as a young Native person. The focus on American Indian culture allows youth who are raised in urban areas and who are often removed from traditional Native art forms and traditions to be exposed to their culture in an interactive and culturally relevant way. The youth attending AICRC programs represent many different tribes from across the country, many from more than one tribe. The cultural arts program is a way to integrate the broad, intricate components of diverse American Indian culture and history into the consciousness of Native youth in Oakland. By participating in healthy, enriching, cultural activities, improved self-concept and cultural pride will be rooted in a set of positive experiences.

  Youth Advocacy and Case Management
IEC staff serve as a vital link between American Indian families and the school system. Conferences between parents, teachers and other school site staff are coordinated through IEC staff, assisting families to navigate the nuances of Oakland schools. IEC case management integrates the individual needs of our youth into each programmatic activity. Youth are involved in setting goals and held accountable for their progress. Each of the students involved in programming has a case manager (who is an IEC staff member) who provides support to the student and family by: attending school meetings; furnishing transport; providing appropriate referrals; and maintaining consistent communication with parents as advocates for the youth. The youth feel supported and receive the assistance they need to meet their personal, spiritual, emotional, and academic goals.

  College and Career Preparation 
At the secondary school level, students' transcripts are monitored to insure that they are on track for graduation and college; students and their families are advised of requirements or to make program changes. IEC sponsors financial aid workshops and college motivation days for high school students including field trips to local colleges, youth leadership and career preparation conferences, and SAT prep sessions on site.

  Field Trips and Family Nights 
Youth can experience a variety of cultural field trips and presentations that highlight the importance of using experiential, active, hand-on, personalized teaching methods with American Indian students. These kinds of activities correspond to learning from the land as many of our students are global or holistic learners who think reflectively and respond to visual and tactile stimuli. Plus, they are fun! We hold a number of special events throughout the year for families and community members to come together and engage with their children. Some examples are: Family Science Night; Cultural Heritage Night and Potluck; Recognition Night; Christmas Party; and Family Camping trips.

  Youth Leadership 
Some of the exciting new youth leadership programs include:

• Peer Education/Tobacco Awareness class at Street Academy. This class will bring together social justice issues, American Indian history, media literacy, and life-skills development in fun and engaging activities. Some of the projects include peer education training, media project design, mural painting, student organizing and activism, and learning about sacred tobacco use. Students will develop an array of leadership, decision making, and academic skills to assist them in building a successful future.
• Oral History Project. This project will support the documentation and legacy of American Indian political and social justice activism in the Bay Area through engaging youth in a video oral history project. The project will engage American Indian youth, as well as other interested students from diverse backgrounds, in interviewing key leaders. This will help preserve the rich history of the Bay Area American Indian community while creating valuable relationships between youth and elders.
• Youth Entrepreneurial Project – targets 15 American Indian youth between the ages of 15-20. Students will learn transferable skills in project design and management, graphic arts and print making, weaving, beading and featherwork, and marketing and sales. In the T-shirt Design Project, working together in teams of three, youth will create and manipulate culturally relevant designs to print onto T-shirts and other mediums to sell at community cultural events. The young people will learn computer programs to digitally manipulate photos and images which represent their particular logo.

  Sports and Nutrition Program 
The offering of health, nutrition, and recreation activities aims to increase awareness and mitigate the detrimental effects of childhood obesity, poor eating habits, and sedentary lifestyles of American Indian young people. The Sports and Nutrition Program is a crucial need for our community because Native peoples experience higher disease rates and lower life expectancy than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. In the Nutrition Program’s cooking class, the students learn to read recipes and ingredient tables, study traditional healing properties of Native herbs, and analyze measurements utilizing math skills. Sessions are geared to teach youth about healthier food choices and strategies for integrating these components into their lifestyles. In the Sports Program students have the choice to participate in a fitness club every day they are in program. The different activities include: the Girls Recreation and Dance program; the Football club; and the Dancing and Drumming program held at the Inter-tribal Friendship House. Some of the key aspects include: holding introductory sessions on the importance of fitness, the basics of each respective sport, attending relevant professional games (the youth love it when we can take them to the Raiders’ games!), conducting team building exercises, stretching, and learning about how to balance fitness and nutrition.

  Title VII (Federal Indian Education Act) 
Title VII provides cultural competent programming within OUSD (Oakland Unified School District) and is a venue through which to advocate for American Indian students’ towards their successful completion of school. Since obtaining Title VII funding from OUSD, the IEC has become more active within the District, participating in meetings about the restructuring of OUSD to make it more accountable and responsive to the diverse ethnic make-up of the Oakland community. Through discussions and presentations, AICRC has heightened the awareness of the School Board and the school administration about the needs of the Oakland American Indian community. AICRC and IEC staff participate in a committee that will establish District-wide parent resource centers. It is AICRC intent to continue this collaborative work and make the educational needs of the American Indian students a funding priority within the reform initiatives of the District.

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