Tlingit & Haida: Education Center Promotes Early Learning Through Cultural Identity

The whole concept was bringing us together under one roof as an early learning center. We've got Head Start, we've got Early Head Start in here now, we have LEARNS program, which will have multiple classrooms and we'll be adding more classrooms to that program before— between now and December. And then we also have our Hayukatangi Kudi, or our Tlingit language immersion nest here.

Yay!

We've got all of these programs coming together under this one roof, which is really— it's been exciting, but even more exciting now because it's in real time happening.

I've got to have all three of my children come through. The Nest in some form or another. And for them to be able to have the language and to have opportunities for observation, not just in the classroom but at home, and to see that language growth and to see their pride in knowing and understanding the language and that boost that they have. I also think that we've created an environment where our children, they all call each other and we call them "nesty besties." So they also create a bond with each other. That I think is irreplaceable.

Sha'ee! Sha'ee! She do a sock. Wee! Wee!

Scrub, scrub, scrub! Working with this age of students, you see how much they absorb and take everything in. This is their first exposure to friends, to new adults outside their family, their first exposure to sharing and taking turns and learning how to to state their emotions and all of those skills that I really love being a part of, to see them be able to take them on as they transition into the elementary school and just knowing that we were a part of making some of that progress along the way.

Learn provides childcare for infant, toddler, and preschool age children. We do play-based throughout the day, and we try to incorporate our Tlingit culture. I am hungry. You. Are hungry.

Let's go eat. We feel that culture heals, and if our kids are immersed in cultural education throughout their life, then we know we will grow up as strong people with healthy families, and that's our ultimate goal.

Juneau.