AMERICAN INDIAN URBAN TEACHER PROGRAM
www.pdx.edu/aiutp
(503) 725-9943
The American Indian Urban Teacher Program was created to respond to the need to increase the
numbers of Native teachers in Oregon’s classrooms who share the cultural knowledge and languages
of tribal students. Research had established that while more than 2% of K-12 students in Portland
public schools were American Indian or Alaskan Native (AI/AN) while only 0.6 of their teachers are
Native. Funding from the Office of Indian Education will allow Portland State University to prepare
Native teachers through a Payback Agreement that students sign stating that they will teach for at least
one year in a school district where a significant population of Indian students is enrolled.
The eligibility for this program includes application to Portland State University and the Graduate
Teacher Education Program. Additionally, students are asked to respond to the following questions
and to provide documentation that they meet the Federal definition of Indian as outlined in the
Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 19 link:
Indian means an individual who is—
(1) A member of an Indian tribe or band, as membership is defined by the Indian tribe or
band, including any tribe or band terminated since 1940, and any tribe or band recognized
by the State in which the tribe or band resides;
(2) A descendant of a parent or grandparent who meets the requirements of paragraph (1)
of this definition;
(3) Considered by the Secretary of the Interior to be an Indian for any purpose;
(4) An Eskimo, Aleut, or other Alaska Native; or
(5) A member of an organized Indian group that received a grant under the Indian Education
Act of 1988 as it was in effect October 19, 1994.
Please provide the following:
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
Tribe or Band
Location of tribal enrollment office
Enrollment Number: __________________________________
OR,
I am not enrolled in my tribe, but I am a descendant of the following persons who are either a parent or
grandparent and are a member of the following Indian tribe, including those tribes or bands recognized
by the state:
I meet the definition of Indian as described in section 3, 4, or 5, as described above. My affiliation with an
Indian tribe, bank, Eskimo, Aleut or other Alaska Native village, or an organized group is listed below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Please respond to the following questions; you are welcome to draft a word processing document
response and paste your writing after the respective question:
1. Why do you want to be a member of the American Indian Urban Teacher Program cohort at PSU?
2. Do you feel it is important to increase the number of Native educators in schools?
Please share your reasons.
3. What do you hope the American Indian Urban Teacher Program will include to best prepare you for
your role as an effective teacher for Native students?
4. Please list below your experiences working with or serving indigenous communities,
paid or unpaid.