The Culturally Sustaining and Investigative STEM (CSIS)

Applications due: February 20, 2026

Click here to complete the 2026 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 fellow of CSIS in 2026, you will receive information about this year’s seminar topics.

In 2026, the Institute for Native-serving Educators (INE) is sponsoring 3 seminar tracks for the Culturally Sustaining Investigative STEM. This year the INE is offering 3 different tracks for educators to choose from:

Track 1: Amplifying Student Voice, Choice & Cultural Identity through Technology with Ashley Esparza

Discover how digital tools can support and honor Indigenous students’ voice, cultural knowledge, and ways of knowing. This seminar will explore practical strategies for using technology to create learning experiences where students can share their stories, connect their cultural identities to academic content, and experience agency in learning. Participants will examine digital platforms and multimedia tools that enable students to express their learning in a variety of ways, from digital storytelling that incorporates tradition and self-expression to collaborative spaces that center Indigenous perspectives.

Track 2: Every Picture Tells a Story: Forest and Land Management Using Spatial Data (GIS), StoryMaps and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

This seminar with look at how tribes are asserting their skills, knowledge and rights to the management of their natural resources using spatial data tools.  Using a variety of data collection methods, INE fellows will learn how natural resource data attributes are applied to spatial data analysis tools to develop natural, culturally appropriate management approaches and practices. The content will be adaptable across academic subjects while aligning with educational standards. This seminar will include selected reading materials and presentations to create a meaningful learning experience for teachers to create a curriculum unit unique to the students they serve.

Track 3: Native American History and Ethnoecology: The Cultural Relevance of Sustaining Indigenous Food Systems

This seminar will focus on Native American communities, starting with a historical approach to build awareness of the Southwest region of tribal communities. A key goal is to provide teachers with foundational knowledge of Native American history, especially on important topics like boarding schools. After establishing this foundation, the seminar will transition into discussions about Indigenous food systems, food sovereignty, and ecology. Activities may explore how food and ceremonies historically intersect and how these traditions have evolved over time. The content will be adaptable across subjects such as social studies, English, and science, while aligning with educational standards. This seminar will include selected reading materials, presentations to create a meaningful learning experience for teachers to create a curriculum unit unique to the students they serve.

Benefits of program participation

• Increased knowledge of best practices in culturally responsive curriculum development
• Completion of a published, self-authored curriculum unit for use in your classroom
• Recognition by the school/district of their accomplishments
• Faculty affiliate status at Northern Arizona University during the program dates, which gives full access to Cline Library resources
• Receive a certificate of completion indicating the number of hours earned
• Access to colleague’s self-authored curriculum units for use in your classroom
• Networking and learning from other educators in Native-serving schools
• A stipend of $1500 provided upon program completion