INE Application Process

Applications due: February 20, 2026

Click here to complete the 2026 DINÉ/TLSI/CSIS application

INE Seminar schedules 2026

• Track 1 – Esparza: Amplifying Student Voice, Choice & Cultural Identity through Technology
• Track 2 – Martin: Every Picture Tells a Story: Forest and Land Management Using Spatial Data (GIS), StoryMaps and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). 
• Track 3 – Macktima and Medinaceli: Native American History and Ethnoecology: The Cultural Relevance of Sustaining Indigenous Food Systems

Application Process

Step 1: Get your principal’s support

You will need to confirm that your principal supports your application. Please discuss this with your principal before you apply. You can strengthen your application by submitting a letter of support from your principal.

Step 2: Confirm your eligibility 

Please carefully read the “Eligibility criteria” and “Expectations of accepted applicants” sections to confirm your eligibility. This includes ensuring that you can attend ALL in-person and virtual meetings.

Eligibility criteria

1. Seeking support from your school principal to participate in the INE only ensures your successful completion of the program. Please provide them with a copy of the program description and schedule to ensure they understand the level of commitment asked of you to participate.
2. Employed as a K-12 teacher full-time in a school serving Apache students
3. Employed in a publicly-funded or tribally-funded school in Arizona
4. Completed at least one full year of teaching
5. Ability to attend ALL meetings in-person and online meetings

Time Commitment 

Professional development hours are earned by completing the following activities:

• Attending and participating in each of the online seminar meetings
• Attending and participating in the scheduled INE summer residency on NAU Flagstaff Campus
• (3) 1-day Saturday seminar meetings (1 at NAU’s Flagstaff campus, 2 on Tribal Homelands)
• Attend the American Indian/Indigenous Teacher Education Conference
• Attend 1-day in-person Showcase in November at NAU’s Flagstaff campus
• Scheduled time for reading/writing each week

Step 3: Submit your application

The application is completed via Google forms, which requires you to complete and submit the entire application at one time. Please be sure you allow sufficient time to do this; we recommend approximately one hour.

The application includes two questions that should be answered in 300-600 words. The questions are:

“Part of the INE’s mission is to work with teachers who are leaders in their schools or communities. How do you demonstrate leadership in your role as a teacher?”

&

“Please explain why you are interested in your FIRST choice seminar track topic, and describe a specific way you could integrate this seminar topic into your teaching.”

It may be helpful to draft your response in a Word/Google Document (or something similar) then copy and paste your response into the application when you are ready to submit.

Step 4: Notification of acceptance

The Institute for Native-serving Educators will inform you of your application status. If you are selected to be a 2026 fellow, you will receive information about the seminar track and next steps.

Applications due: February 20, 2026

Click here to complete the 2026 ICSLI application

Application Process

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility 

Please carefully read the “Eligibility criteria” and “Time Commitment” sections to confirm your eligibility.  This includes ensuring that you can attend ALL in-person and virtual meetings.

Eligibility criteria

• Employed full-time in a school/districts serving over 25% Native students
• Employed in a publicly-funded or tribally-funded school/district in Arizona
• Employed in a leadership role(i.e., principal, assistant principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent etc.), or aspiring to a leadership role
• Ability to attend ALL in-person and online meetings (See 2026 ICSLI Program Calendar here)

Time Commitment

You can earn up to 34 professional development hours by completing the following activities:

• 1 online orientation session
• 9 online seminar sessions
• 1 in-person Saturday session
• 1-day in-person Showcase in November at NAU’s Flagstaff campus
• Scheduled time for reading/writing each week

Step 2: Submit your application

The application is completed via Google forms, which requires you to complete and submit the entire application at one time. Please be sure you allow sufficient time to do this; we recommend approximately one hour. 

The application includes two short paragraph questions each answer should be 300-600 words. The questions are: 

“Please explain why you are interested in participating in ICSLI, and describe a specific way you could integrate this seminar topic into your practice.”

&

“Through this program, you will write a culturally sustaining/responsive leadership practice guide that you will implement in your school/schools. Please describe a topic or theme that you are interested in writing your practice guide about.”

 

It may be helpful to draft your response in a Word/Google Document (or something similar) then copy and paste your response into the application when you are ready to submit. 

Step 3: Notification of acceptance

The Institute for Native-serving Educators will inform you of your application status. If you are selected to be a 2026 fellow, you will receive information about the seminar track and next steps.

 

Applications due: February 20. 2026

Click to complete the 2026 IECE application

IECE Seminar Schedule 2026*

Application process

Step 1: Get your supervisor’s support

Seeking support from your school supervisor to participate in the INE only ensures your successful completion of the program. Please provide the with a copy of the seminar description and schedule to ensure they understand the level of commitment it will take to participate.

Step 2: Confirm your eligibility

Please carefully read the “Eligibility criteria” and “Time Commitment” sections to confirm your eligibility. This includes ensuring that you can attend ALL in-person and virtual meetings. 

Eligibility criteria

1. Full-time teacher of 3-4 year olds
2. Employed by a Head Start or other preschool serving Indigenous children
3. Pair your educator experience and expertise with new content knowledge to develop and write a culturally sustaining and responsive curriculum unit to implement in the classroom
4. Ability to attend ALL in-person and online meetings (See 2026 IECE Program Calendar here)
5. *Garner support from your school administrator/principal to participate in the IECE program. Please provide your administrator/principal with a copy of the seminar description and schedule to ensure they understand the level of commitment asked of you to participate.
6. Educators must also commit to remaining in the classroom in their current district or school on the Native Nation for at least three years. Due to the workload, first-year teachers are not typically encouraged to apply for the IECE.

Time Commitment

You will earn 38.5 Seat Hours for Professional Development through the following activities:

• 1 online orientation session
• 9 online seminar sessions
• 1 in-person seminar session on NAU campus
• Attend the American Indian/Indigenous Teacher Education Conference (AIITEC) *optional
• 1-day in-person Showcase in November at NAU’s Flagstaff campus
• Scheduled time for reading/writing each week

Step 3: Submit your application

The application is completed via Google forms, which requires you to complete and submit the entire application at one time. Please be sure you allow sufficient time to do this; we recommend approximately one hour. 

The application includes two questions that should be answered in 300-600 words. The questions are: 

• “Part of our mission is to work with teachers who are leaders in their schools/centers or communities. How do you demonstrate leadership in your role as a teacher?”
• “Please explain why you are interested in participating in IECE, and describe a specific way you could integrate this seminar topic into your teaching.”

It may be helpful to draft your response in a Word/Google Document (or something similar) then copy and paste your response into the application when you are ready to submit. 

Step 4: Notification of acceptance

The Institute for Native-serving Educators will inform you of your application status. If you are selected to be a 2026 fellow, you will receive information about the seminar track and next steps.