The Southern Ute Tribe’s Education Director, Dr. Joseph Claunch has been going school to school with one goal in mind – to encourage students of all ages to have dreams. Dr. Claunch has been giving presentations speaking about his own challenges in achieving his dreams during the hardships of growing up on a reservation, while expressing his support to the students on behalf of the Education Department. “We remind our students that they are worthy of having big dreams and that our education department is here to support them along the way,” Claunch said.
The reason Dr. Claunch started working with the various school districts was the realization that students are becoming less and less vocal about their dreams, especially as they get older. “What we noticed is that almost all elementary students are eager to share their dreams, but fewer middle and high school students will do the same,” Claunch said. “This decline may be due to increased peer pressure, but it’s also likely that many of our students are having experiences as they grow up that affect their outlook on the future.”
Southern Ute Education has been working closely with the Ignacio, Bayfield, and Durango School Districts to ensure that Native American students have the tools and support needed to peruse their dreams, by offering multiple programs. Tutoring is offered to Indigenous students, K-12. The Southern Ute Tribe also hosts a career fair annually for students from La Plata County to seek new career opportunities or pursue higher education. The Southern Ute Indian Montessori Academy (SUIMA) begins teaching students how to enjoy learning from a young age. “SUIMA offers our youngest students the opportunity to explore and develop their natural love for learning in an environment that centers [around] Ute language, values, and traditions,” Claunch said.
The students of today will be the leaders of the future, and it is important that they have the tools and support from the adults and staff around them to reach their potential.
Education doesn’t end with the youth. The Education Department has worked diligently to ensure they are facilitating higher education and helping adults reach their dreams. GED classes, college, career counseling, financial aid, and scholarships are all offered through the Tribe’s Education Department.
The Ignacio School district offers multiple programs to ensure all students K-12 receive the help they need to get the education they deserve. “We do the career fair, and then we host another career fair for the elementary kids here at the middle school,” Ignacio Middle School Principal, Dayna Talamante-Montoya said. Various sports clubs are offered, along with many clubs that help students find new interests and hobbies that can spark their dreams; chess club, garden club, and other activities are offered at the Ignacio Middle School.
The Ignacio High School has numerous programs to help support students to help them find something they are passionate about. “We have our CTE program, to help kids get into trades, FFA stuff and vet sciences, and sports” Ignacio High School Principal, Alisha Gullion said. “I think it also helps kids to understand, like, here is how this connects to the real world.”