The Indigenous Early Childhood Educators (IECE) Professional Development Fellowship

The Indigenous Early Childhood Educators professional development is for teachers of 3-4 year olds in Head Starts and other preschools serving primarily indigenous children. It offers a long-term, cohort-model professional development opportunity for preschool teachers serving Native students.

Teachers who are IECE Fellows participate in an 8-month Fellowship that will increase their:

  • Knowledge of early childhood best practices
  • Curriculum-development skills
  • Capacity to deliver culturally responsive lessons
  • Leadership ability
  • Writing capacity

Teachers participate in a seminar group that is led by University faculty who are content experts. Teachers learn the seminar material through reading, discussion, and independent research. Each teacher writes a unique curriculum unit for use in their classroom. Curriculum units are then published online so other educators can access, adapt, and use them in their own classrooms. Selected teachers will meet virtually on selected Friday afternoons, and participate in a three-day residency at NAU in June. The program commitment is April – December each calendar year. The program concludes with a conference in December.

Benefits of program participation Accordion Closed
  • Increased knowledge of best practices in culturally responsive early childhood curriculum development
  • Completion of a published, self-authored curriculum unit for use in your classroom
  • Access to colleague’s self-authored curriculum units for use in your classroom
  • Networking and learning from other early childhood educators in Native-serving preschools
  • A stipend provided upon program completion
  • Graduate course credit available, for a fee

How can I participate in the IECE? Accordion Closed

Educators in the IECE are motivated, intellectually curious teachers who want to improve their content knowledge and have high expectations for their students. If you meet these criteria, you may apply.

Eligibility criteria
  • Full-time teacher of 3-4 year olds
  • Employed by a Head Start or other preschool serving primarily indigenous children
  • Can drive to Flagstaff, Arizona for a 3-day residency in June
  • Can obtain written approval by supervisor to teach the curriculum unit that you develop in the program
  • Committed to culturally responsive teaching approaches

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.

Expectations of accepted applicants
  • Attend all virtual and in person meetings, including the final Showcase and Open House on December, 2024 (Date TBD) in Flagstaff 2023 IECE schedule
  • Submit all writing assignments on time, including the final complete curriculum unit that meets program specifications
  • Maintain regular communication via email and/or phone with the program staff
Application process

We are no longer accepting applications for this program at this time. Please check back periodically. You can also email us at nativeservingeducators@nau.edu if you would like to be added to our contact list.

Current program information for the IECE Accordion Closed
IECE schedule 2023

Download the IECE schedule 2023

IECE seminar description

Download the IECE seminar description 2023. Also, click on this Google Link to hear what the seminar leaders have to say about their sessions.

Educator standards resources

Preschool teachers in this program will each write a culturally responsive, integrated thematic curriculum unit. Each unit must align to the Arizona Early Learning Standards, and each unit must also demonstrate key principles of culturally responsive schooling.