The Indigenous Early Childhood Educators (IECE) Professional Development Program

The Indigenous Early Childhood Educators (IECE) professional development program 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.

Early childhood educators accepted into the IECE program will receive a certificate of completion indicating up to 55 hours of professional development, will complete a culturally sustaining and responsive curriculum unit to implement in their classrooms, and will receive a stipend to supplement costs not covered by the INE (i.e. travel/lodging/ meals).

Teachers who are IECE Fellows participate in an 7-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

Educators in the IECE are motivated, intellectually curious teachers who want to improve their content knowledge and have high expectations for their students.

Applications due: Sunday, March 2, 2025

Click to complete the 2025 IECE application

IECE Seminar Schedule 2025*

Application process

Step 1: Get your supervisor’s support

You will need to confirm that your supervisor supports your application. Please discuss this with your supervisor before you apply.

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

Please carefully review the Teacher Eligibility Criteria and Commitment for participation before applying:

Full-time teacher of 3-4 year olds
Employed by a Head Start or other preschool serving Indigenous children
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
Ability to attend ALL in-person and online meetings (See 2025 IECE Program Calendar here)
*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.
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 55 Seat Hours for Professional Development through the following activities:

1 online orientation session
8 online seminar sessions
1-week in-person residency on NAU campus
Attend the American Indian/Indigenous Teacher Education Conference (AIITEC)
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 by March 14, 2025.

Honoring Our Ancestors, Shaping Our Future: Indigenous STEM in Early Childhood (Jennie DeGroat, Teaching Professor College of Education)

This seminar will examine the critical role of Indigenous STEM education in fostering cultural identity, environmental stewardship, language advocacy, and future innovation. By blending traditional knowledge systems with modern STEM concepts, we aim to empower young Indigenous learners to become leaders in their communities. We will uncover strategies for integrating Indigenous perspectives into STEM curricula, the importance of place-based learning, and the challenges and opportunities in creating Indigenous relevant STEM education programs. Our seminar will engage early childhood educators in discussions, with readings and activities. The educators will identify teaching topics and develop a practical curriculum unit to implement with their students. Join us as we honor our ancestors and shape a brighter future for Indigenous children.