The Teacher Leadership Shiłgozhóó Institute (TLSI)

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. 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.

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.

Benefits of program participation Accordion Closed
  • 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

How can I participate in the TLSI? Accordion Closed

Participants 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
  1. Employed as a K-12 teacher full-time in a school serving Apache students
  2. Employed in a publicly-funded or tribally-funded school in Arizona
  3. Completed at least one full year of teaching.
  4. Principal support for participating in TLSI.
  5. Ability to attend ALL meetings 2023 TLSI schedule

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 2023 TLSI schedule
  • Every teacher will write a culturally responsive curriculum unit as part of the program
  • 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

Applications for 2024 will be opening soon! If you are considering applying to an INE professional development program in 2024, please submit your information through this survey and we will contact you when applications open.

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. You will need to confirm that your principal supports your application, so you should talk about this with her/him before you apply. The application includes three longer questions, and we recommend you draft your answers to these three questions in Microsoft Word (or a similar word processing program) ahead of time and then copy and paste them into the application when you are ready to complete the full application. Each answer should be between 300-500 words. These longer questions are:

  1. 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? (your answer should be 200-400 words)
  2. Through this program, you will write a culturally responsive curriculum unit to teach in your classroom. Please describe a topic or theme that you are interested in writing your curriculum unit about. (your answer should be 200-400 words)
  3. State your first-choice seminar from the list above (see options here). Explain why you are interested in this seminar topic, and describe a specific way you could integrate this seminar topic into your teaching. Click on this Google Link to hear what the seminar leaders have to say about their sessions.
  4. State your second-choice seminar from the list above (see options here). Explain why you are interested in this seminar topic, and describe a specific way you could integrate this seminar topic into your teaching. If you do not have a second-choice, please just write that. Click on this Google Link to hear what the seminar leaders have to say about their sessions.

Current program information for the TLSI Accordion Closed
TLSI schedule 2023

Download the 2023 TLSI schedule

TLSI seminar topics 2023

Download the TLSI seminar topics 2023. Also, click on this Google Link to hear what the seminar leaders have to say about.

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.