THE NEZ PERCE JOURNEY
Proposed Educational Facility
Lapwai, Idaho
Purpose of Today’s Presentation
To:
Share the Nez Perce Tribe’s vision for the
future
Introduce the concept of a lifelong journey
in education
Introduce the proposed new education
center in Lapwai, Idaho
Explore the possibilities of the new facility
Explore community educational needs
The Nez Perce Education Dept. 1998
The Space Crunch:
Even with the creation of a formal Tribal
Education Department in 1998, programs
could only be offered space in available
structures. Space needs were on a first come,
first served basis.
Some programs were housed in turn of the
(twentieth) century buildings, others in surplus
government trailers.
The Nez Perce Education Dept. 2007
Little has changed in nearly ten years.
The youngest of the Nez Perce children are
housed in the basement of a eighty-five year old
tuberculosis sanitarium dormitory that can not
meet Federal space and ADA access
requirements.
Student and adult programs use classrooms as
office space and kitchens as conference rooms
and classrooms. Privacy issues are common.
Offices originally designed for one now house
two or three.
The Nez Perce Education Dept. 2007
Privacy is preserved by using janitorial closets
as office space.
Head Start classes are held in a building that
requires radon mitigation and mold/mildew
treatment.
Several programs of adult higher education must
conduct classes simultaneously.
The yearly cost of facility maintenance competes
with educational programming budgets.
•
The Future of the Nez Perce
Education Department
Our vision for the remainder the 21st Century is
to build a state of the art facility, with the latest
in technology, to serve all those interested in
furthering their education and/or enhancing
their employability.
It will be a “one-stop” educational center that
will offer an array of programs benefiting the
youngest child as well as the seniors of the tristate area.
Emphasis will be on Tribal education but all will
be welcome.
The Vision Defined
The project will construct a multi-program
facility that will include workforce training,
education and a business incubator.
The
facility will provide approximately 35,000
square feet of space to integrate several
existing programs and add new training
programs.
It will house educational components from
children’s Head Start to adult education and
provide a single-point-of-service delivery, for
the tri-state area, at the Nez Perce Tribal center
in Lapwai, Idaho.
The Vision Defined
The environment created by the new facility,
and the education and workforce training that
will take place in the facility, will build
towards the community’s quality of life
through the development of economic
opportunities.
The end result of the proposed project will
mean life-changing opportunities for those
who participate.
The Vision Financed
Economic Development Administration: The
Nez Perce Tribe has been invited to submit a
final grant application to the EDA. The
preliminary application was submitted at the
beginning of the funding year in October of
2007.
United States Dept of Agriculture: Once EDA
funding has been secured, a grant request
will be tendered to the USDA for the cost of
infrastructure costs.
The Vision Financed
Matching Tribal Funds:
The NPTEC
governing body has expressed strong
support on all levels for the project and will
commit funds as needed.
In-kind Tribal Contributions: The Nez Perce
Tribe has contributed a highly visible piece
of property in the Town of Lapwai as the site
of the new facility.
Programs:
Existing programs will be
sustained on funds currently provided by
the Nez Perce Tribe or the program’s
“parent” agency.
The People
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
EDUCATION MANAGER
PRE-HEAD
START AND
HEAD START
ADULT AND
HIGHER
EDUCATION
TRIBAL
EMPLOYMENT
RIGHTS
VOCATIONAL
REHABILITATION
STUDENTS
FOR SUCCESS
The Education Manager
The Education Manager will play an absolutely
essential part in the success of the new education
center. In concept, the Manager’s office will be
responsible for
 The day-to-day operation of the project facility.
Coordination of plant maintenance,
staffing assignments.
staffing and
 Coordinate, with the program managers, to
develop curricula in support of the program goals.
 Point of Contact for on-going EDA reporting.
 Seek out and engage instructors for long and/or
short term specialized course instruction.
The Education Manager
 Act as liaison between the project and other
educational entities within the region and the nation.
Establish a working relationship with these
educational entities and coordinate partnerships with
each.
 Be an active, aggressive and enthusiastic
“salesman” for the project and the overall education
program.
 Act as the program’s most visible proponent. As
such, speak to local, state and national groups,
including legislative groups and individuals in an
effort to gain support for the concept.
The Education Manager
 Organize and coordinate grant writing in support of
the overall project as needed.
 Act as liaison between of the Board of Directors and
staff (and others as needed).
 Act as liaison and report to NPTEC on overall
educational matters in general, and program goals, in
particular.
 Provide, for project participants, administrative
support such as guidance counseling, financial aid and
assistance, review eligibility requirements, liaison
between participants and off-reservation colleges and
universities, referrals, etc.
The Possibilities
Website Design and Maintenance: A quickly expanding
and future-oriented field.
The Study of Viticulture:
Training in cooperage,
stainless steel equipment maintenance, inventory
tracking, aging and blending for the wine industry.
Commercial Kitchen: To provide a training venue for
cooks, serving staff, food handling requirements,
commercial cleaning agent compliance and food
service business practices.
Plant Maintenance Techniques and Methods:
The
correct handling, use and disposal of the various
cleaning products, equipment maintenance and basic
bookkeeping.
The Possibilities
Budgeting and Bookkeeping:
Training in businessoriented computer software with emphasis on support of
the family business.
Short Business Courses: Orientation in state sales tax
accounting, bank loan applications, inventory control and
simple AP/AR principles and record keeping.
Child Development and Care: Training in home-based
daycare. Classes that include state and/or local licensing
requirements, CPR, nutrition and first aid.
Adult Care:
In-the-home care to provide classes in
nutrition, first aid and orientation on problems of the
ageing.
The Possibilities
Advanced/Refresher Professional Courses: Law
enforcement, firefighting, EMT or any profession that
requires long distance travel for certification and
recertification classes.
Business-Sponsored Skills Training: CNC machine
operation, aluminum welding techniques,
small
engine repair, office equipment repair.
Standard Business Practices: Seminars in workplace
ethics, interpersonal communication, customer
service,
time
management,
team
building,
productivity and other professional development
practices.
The Possibilities
Heavy Equipment Operators: Seasonal or year
around, trained professionals are always in demand.
Media and Entertainment: Training in computer
programming and graphics, lighting, sound mixing,
theatre design and other equipment operation.
Basic Marketing Techniques:
Topics such as
marketing communication, product development,
business writing, effective advertising, sales, planning
and other principles of entrepreneurship.
The Possibilities
Medical Record Keeping:
Classes in medical
terminology and spelling, keyboarding, insurance
programs among others.
Remedial Math and English: Employability and the
success of higher education can often depend on
skills that were not assimilated in the regular school
classroom.
The possibilities are limited
only by the demand.
Our Goals
Effectively maximize Tribal dollars so that quality
education and workforce training are delivered.
Provide a vocational training facility that will allow
educational flexibility to those with job and family
obligations.
Allow a cohesive integration of programs so that
they can more easily coordinate students from one
program to the next or multiple programs at the same
time.
Provide the background and knowledge needed for
Tribal members to start and maintain their own
businesses while providing additional jobs and stable
incomes for their employees.
Our Goals
Provide training needed for Tribal members to
successfully fill positions within Tribal programs and
departments thus allowing them to remain within the
Reservation community.
Provide a venue for the Tribal Employment Rights
Office to pursue its goal of equal and fair employment
for Tribal members.
Provide a pool of trained individuals to which local
businesses can apply for skilled employees.
Provide a place where businesses can actually train
students to fill specific needs and positions.
Provide incentive for corporations looking to move
into the region and in need of trained personnel.
Our Goals
Provide a base for learning of all types, for all ages.
Provide a new foundation on which the Nez Perce
Tribe’s young people can build a strong interest for all
aspects of the Nez Perce culture.
Provide the training and education needed for Tribal
members to work for a living wage and contribute to
the welfare of their families and their communities.
Provide a positive psychological statement to all
students, current, future, Tribal or non-tribal and to
local private and public entities that the Nez Perce
Tribe is committed to education and training for
everyone.