The Indian Country School Leadership Institute (ICSLI)

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 and next steps.

Participants in the ICSLI are motivated, intellectually curious school or district leaders who want to build capacity for serving Indigenous communities and have high expectations for their students.

Creating Culturally Responsive Schools (Robert Koerperich, Superintendent, Holbrook Unified School District)

School leadership is essential for strong schools, districts, and communities. The Indian Country School Leadership Institute (ICSLI) builds leadership capacity among current and aspiring leaders serving Indigenous communities, including principals, superintendents, and other district-level roles. ICSLI develops skills in cultural awareness, communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, policy, and community engagement—equipping leaders to effectively serve Indigenous students, staff, and communities. Through collaborative discussions, research, and applied leadership strategies, participants will create action plans and contribute to an Indigenous leadership guide for present and future education leaders. This year’s focus: STEM integration in Indigenous schools and communities. Blending traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with modern STEM approaches fosters self-determination, sustainability, and cultural preservation—empowering leaders to address community challenges with innovation rooted in ancestral wisdom.

ICSLI Seminar schedule 2026*

*Downloadable PDF above

Benefits of program participation

Upon completing the program, the following will be granted: