Montana State, Blackfeet Community College, partners launch program to prepare secondary educators to work in Indigenous communi – Explore Big Sky

Report on the Educator Development with Indigenous Nations of Montana (ED IN MT) Initiative

Introduction: A Strategic Intervention for Educational Equity

A collaborative partnership between Montana State University (MSU) and Blackfeet Community College has launched the Educator Development with Indigenous Nations of Montana (ED IN MT) Amskaapi Piikani Pilot Project. Supported by a $500,000 grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, this initiative directly confronts the critical teacher shortage in Montana, which disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. The project is designed as a strategic intervention to advance educational sovereignty and align with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating a sustainable pipeline of qualified educators prepared to serve in their home communities.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 4: Quality Education

The ED IN MT project is fundamentally aligned with SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. The initiative contributes to the following targets:

• Target 4.5: Eliminate Disparities in Education: The program is explicitly designed to ensure equal access to quality tertiary education and teacher training for Indigenous peoples, a vulnerable group often facing significant educational barriers.
• Target 4.c: Increase the Supply of Qualified Teachers: By creating a place-based pathway to licensure, the project directly addresses the teacher shortage crisis, increasing the supply of highly qualified educators in reservation communities.
• Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: The program model promotes quality education by integrating traditional knowledge and community-centered practices, making learning more relevant and effective for Indigenous students.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The initiative is a direct response to SDG 10, which calls for reducing inequality within and among countries. It seeks to dismantle systemic barriers and promote inclusion through:

• Empowering Indigenous Communities: By centering the program within the community and valuing local expertise, it promotes the social and economic inclusion of the Amskaapi Piikani Nation.
• Ensuring Equal Opportunity: The project reduces inequalities of outcome by addressing the learning and opportunity gaps exacerbated by a lack of qualified, culturally competent teachers.
• Promoting Educational Sovereignty: The program supports the right of Indigenous Nations to control their own educational systems, a critical component of achieving justice and equality.

Supporting Goals for Community Resilience and Well-being

The project’s impact extends to several interconnected SDGs:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): It establishes a clear pathway for community members to attain professional qualifications and secure decent work as educators, contributing to local economic stability.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The place-based model strengthens community resilience by preserving cultural heritage and building local institutional capacity.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): By addressing systemic issues like trauma and racism in education, the program helps build more just, inclusive, and effective local institutions.

Program Structure and Methodology

A Community-Centered 2+2 Model

The ED IN MT project utilizes an innovative 2+2 structure designed to maximize accessibility and community integration, thereby supporting SDG 4 and SDG 10.

1. Students complete their first two years of coursework at Blackfeet Community College.
2. Students then transfer to MSU for the final two years of a secondary education degree program.
3. All MSU coursework and field experiences, including student teaching, are delivered entirely within the Browning community, removing the significant barrier of relocation.
4. Graduates earn an MSU bachelor’s degree with a focus in general science or social studies, qualified to teach in local secondary schools.

Core Principles for Sustainable Impact

The program’s methodology is built on principles that ensure its effectiveness and alignment with SDG targets for quality and equity.

• Place-Based and Culturally Revitalizing: The curriculum is not merely delivered remotely but is fundamentally modified to integrate the unique cultural knowledge of the Amskaapi Piikani Nation, using traditional homelands as a primary learning environment.
• Community-Led Governance: A community advisory council and local mentors are integral to the program’s planning and leadership, ensuring that Indigenous expertise is valued rather than marginalized.
• Holistic Educator Support: Recognizing the challenges of teaching in communities affected by systemic trauma, the program includes well-being workshops led by community experts on trauma-informed and healing-centered practices.

Projected Outcomes and Contribution to the SDGs

Addressing the Teacher Shortage and Enhancing Educational Quality (SDG 4)

The primary outcome is the development of a sustainable model for preparing secondary educators who are highly qualified to serve Indigenous communities. This will directly mitigate the teacher shortage, reduce the number of positions filled by underqualified individuals, and improve the overall quality of education available to students on the Blackfeet Nation reservation.

Fostering Educational Sovereignty and Reducing Inequality (SDG 10)

By preparing teachers from within the community, the project fosters educational sovereignty. These new educators will be uniquely equipped to address the needs of their students, counter cycles of poverty and trauma, and close opportunity gaps. The integration of traditional knowledge systems will empower students and reinforce cultural identity, contributing to a more just and equitable society.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • The article’s primary focus is on a program designed to prepare middle and high school educators. It directly addresses the quality of education by aiming to solve the teacher shortage crisis in Montana, particularly in schools serving Indigenous communities. The program’s goal is to develop “highly qualified” educators who can provide culturally relevant and revitalizing education.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article highlights the disparities and unique challenges faced by Indigenous communities, such as under-resourced schools, systemic racism, and learning and opportunity gaps for Indigenous students. The “ED IN MT Amskaapi Piikani Pilot Project” is specifically designed to address these inequalities by empowering the community through education and promoting “educational sovereignty.”
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • By training and preparing local community members to become qualified teachers, the program creates opportunities for stable, professional employment within their own communities. This contributes to local economic growth and provides decent work, addressing the high teacher turnover and vacancies mentioned in the article.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The initiative is explicitly described as a collaborative effort. The article states, “Project partners include community members, as well as leaders and teacher educators from MSU, Blackfeet Community College, the Amskaapi Piikani – or Blackfeet – Nation, and school districts serving the Blackfeet Nation.” The project is also supported by a “$500,000 grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies,” showcasing a multi-stakeholder partnership between academic institutions, an Indigenous Nation, community groups, and a philanthropic organization.
5. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article makes a direct link between educational challenges and poverty, stating that teacher shortages can “contribute to cycles of trauma and poverty.” By improving educational outcomes and providing stable employment for teachers, the program indirectly works to break this cycle and alleviate poverty in the community.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
   • Target 4.c: “By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers…” The entire program is designed to address the “nationwide teacher shortage” that has reached a “crisis level” in Montana. It aims to increase the number of educators who are not just qualified, but specifically prepared to work effectively in Indigenous communities.
   • Target 4.3: “By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.” The “2+2 program” structure, which allows students to complete their MSU degree while remaining in their community of Browning, directly addresses barriers to access for candidates in reservation communities who may not be able to relocate to a university campus.
2. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of…race, ethnicity, origin…” The program empowers the Blackfeet Nation by building educational capacity from within. It supports “educational sovereignty” and ensures that “Indigenous community expertise is often marginalized” no longer, but is instead central to the teacher preparation program.
3. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The project is a model of this target, involving a partnership between public universities (MSU), a tribal college (Blackfeet Community College), a sovereign nation (Blackfeet Nation), and a private philanthropic organization (Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 4.c (Increase the supply of qualified teachers):
   • A key baseline indicator is explicitly mentioned: “According to data for the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 1 in 10 teaching positions in the state were vacant or filled by someone who did not meet the state’s definition of a ‘qualified educator.'” Progress can be measured by tracking the reduction of this vacancy and under-qualification rate in the schools serving the Blackfeet Nation over the duration of the program and beyond.
2. For Target 4.3 (Ensure equal access to tertiary education):
   • An implied indicator is the number of students enrolled in and graduating from the program. The article states that partners are “currently recruiting four students to be ED IN MT Scholars and members of the first group.” The number of successful graduates who earn their bachelor’s degree through this place-based program will be a direct measure of its success in improving access.
3. For Target 17.17 (Promote effective partnerships):
   • The article mentions a concrete indicator of a functioning partnership: the project “recently received a $500,000 grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.” This funding is a quantifiable measure of the resources mobilized through the partnership.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: explorebigsky.com