The Teacher Leadership Shiłgozhóó Institute (TLSI)

The Teacher Leadership Shiłgozhóó Institute (TLSI) professional development program is focused on growing teachers’ content knowledge, ability to write culturally responsive curriculum, and leadership skills. Modeled after the DINÉ, this partnership began with the San Carlos Unified School District and later opened up to include teachers in any Apache-serving school.

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

Content knowledge
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.

Watch these videos to learn more about TLSI’s 2023 seminar topics.

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
A certificate indicating their completion of 60 hours of professional development
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 provided upon program completion
Graduate course credit available, for a fee

We are no longer accepting applications for our 2024 TLSI seminar cohorts. If you are interested in INE’s 2025 professional development seminars, please fill out this form and we will contact you when 2025 applications are available.

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

Eligibility criteria

Employed as a K-12 teacher full-time in a school serving Apache students
Employed in a publicly-funded or tribally-funded school in Arizona
Completed at least one full year of teaching.
Principal support for participating in TLSI.
Ability to attend ALL meetings in-person and online meetings. 2024 TLSI Program Calendar

Teachers 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 a good fit for the TLSI.

Expectations of accepted applicants

This professional development program is offered in a hybrid format, with online meetings some evenings, 3 Saturday in person meetings, and 2 weekend residencies at NAU in the summer. We provide lodging and food during the 2 weekend residencies. Attendance at all meetings is required 2024 TLSI Program Calendar
Submit all writing assignments on time, including the final complete curriculum unit that meets program specifications
Learn with colleagues and an NAU professor about the theme
Improve content knowledge in the relevant area
Grow capacity to engage students using the principles of cultural responsiveness

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.

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.

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 one question that should be answered in 300-600 words. The question is: “Part of the TLSI’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?”

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 18, 2024. If you are selected to be a fellow of TLSI in 2024, you will receive information about this year’s seminar topics. Please be ready to choose your top two choices of seminars and a short explanation of why you are interested in those seminar topics.

Ready to get started?

Apply to TLSI!

Click the link above or scan the QR Code below with your mobile device to be taken to the application page.

TLSI schedule 2024

Download the 2024 TLSI Program Calendar

TLSI Seminar Topic 2024

Making Quantum Technologies Accessible: providing age appropriate, early exposure to prepare students for the next technological revolution. | Dr. Inès Montaño – Associate Professor, Applied Physics and Materials Science

We all constantly rely on technology and online connectivity in our daily lives and the COVID-19 pandemic clearly emphasized the gap between those who have access to computers and internet and those who do not. We are now on the threshold of a new era which might increase the already existing divide even more: the age of quantum technology.

In the news, we hear about quantum technologies such as, e.g., quantum computers, and the impact they might have on our everyday lives. While there is a lot of misinformation and hype, it is wildly accepted that quantum technologies have the potential to transform our world in unprecedented ways. With this comes also the potential to exacerbate already existing inequities where we will feel the impact of who has access to these new technologies and who does not, who is prepared to work in these new fields and who is not, and who has been prepared to encounter the challenges and opportunities of the quantum age in a way that will enhance rather than diminish their professional and personal lives.

In this seminar we will discuss how the first quantum revolution has changed our lives and spurred technologies we use every day (such as computers, cellphones, internet, etc.) and how technological advances are now enabling the second quantum revolution. Focusing on quantum computing and quantum encryption, we will use hands-on quantum experiences to explore key concepts such as superposition and entanglement, and most importantly build quantum intuition. Together, we will explore how we can provide K-12 students with early exposure to quantum – in a fun and age-appropriate way.

This seminar is aimed to introduce the topic of quantum technologies and no prior STEM knowledge is required or expected.

Educator standards resources

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

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