Gaining College Knowledge

Students at St. Michael Indian School in St. Michael Arizona watched the latest video produced through Reader to Reader's CollegeKnowledge partnership and then skyped with college students at Dartmouth College.

The students also held an in-person Q&A with Melissa Aybar, an Amherst College student that was visiting as a part of the Reader to Reader team.

CollegeKnowledge is a comprehensive college counseling program that provides disadvantaged Native American students with the best and most accurate information about all forms of higher education and access to experts in the field. The heart of the program are videos produced by Dartmouth College’s Native American Program in partnership with Reader to Reader. After watching each video, the students do college access activities and skype with the students in the Native American Program.

Only 65% of Native students receive a high school diploma. Worse, only 10% will earn a college degree. This is less than half the national average. In the fall of 2012, Reader to Reader will provide an on-site coordinator on the Navajo Nation to facilitate all programs related to the goal of boosting Native American college attendance and graduation.

Empowering Navajo youth through education will develop a new generation of strong leaders who will improve the condition of their people.