Resilience and Supporting Native American/Indigenous Students

Resilience and Supporting Native American/Indigenous Students

This important discussion has thought leaders and field experts discussing what resilience means to indigenous populations as well as sharing some practical strategies to help educators everywhere learn to be able to connect better with and support the Native American/Indigenous students that you serve! As challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect education there is still much concern about how we will be able to support our students in the upcoming school year. In this webinar, we also provide insights from these education leaders on how they are preparing for the upcoming school year, in a time that is unprecedented in our history.

Panelists

Quincy Natay

Quincy Natay

Quincy Natay grew up in poverty in the town of Chinle, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. After finishing his K-12 education at Chinle High School, he went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and then later earned an MBA. Understanding first-hand the benefits of education, he has dedicated his life to creating those same opportunities for generations of Navajo students attending Chinle Unified School District schools. In his 23 year career in school finance he led many construction projects that have culminated in CUSD students having the opportunity to learn in some of the finest school facilities in Arizona. The most well-known facility that was built under his leadership is the Wildcat Den which was featured recently in the Netflix series “Basketball or Nothing.”

Quincy Natay grew up in poverty in the town of Chinle, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. After finishing his K-12 education at Chinle High School, he went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and then later earned an MBA. Understanding first-hand the benefits of education, he has dedicated his life to creating those same opportunities for generations of Navajo students attending Chinle Unified School District schools. In his 23 year career in school finance he led many construction projects that have culminated in CUSD students having the opportunity to learn in some of the finest school facilities in Arizona. The most well-known facility that was built under his leadership is the Wildcat Den which was featured recently in the Netflix series “Basketball or Nothing.” Now in his 8^th year as the CUSD Superintendent, he has successfully led district staff in developing strategic planning processes resulting in pivotal strategies that manifested in historic changes in student achievement, and have begun to close the achievement gap. This work has manifested in student pass rates on the Arizona state assessment more than doubling in both ELA and Math between 2014 and 2019. The increase in the percent of students passing in CUSD in both ELA and Math is more than twice the average increase for Arizona.

Now in his 8^th year as the CUSD Superintendent, he has successfully led district staff in developing strategic planning processes resulting in pivotal strategies that manifested in historic changes in student achievement, and have begun to close the achievement gap. This work has manifested in student pass rates on the Arizona state assessment more than doubling in both ELA and Math between 2014 and 2019. The increase in the percent of students passing in CUSD in both ELA and Math is more than twice the average increase for Arizona.

Jason Johnson

Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance. Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered trainings for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.

Christian Moore

Christian Moore

Christian is the founder of the WhyTry Organization that provides curriculum, tools, and training for schools and educators across the US and internationally, focused on helping students build social and emotional resilience. Christian is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), an internationally renowned speaker, and a passionate advocate for youth. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Resilience Breakthrough: 27 Tools for Turning Adversity into Action,” a guide for accessing resilience in a world of increasing instability and narrowing opportunity.