A new initiative aimed at preparing middle and high school teachers to serve Indigenous communities in Montana has received a $500,000 grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. The three-year funding supports the Educator Development with Indigenous Nations of Montana (ED IN MT) Amskaapi Piikani Pilot Project, a partnership between Blackfeet Community College and Montana State University (MSU).
The program follows a 2+2 model, allowing students to complete their first two years at Blackfeet Community College before transferring to MSU for an additional two years. Notably, all MSU coursework will be delivered in Browning rather than on the Bozeman campus. Graduates will earn a bachelor’s degree from MSU in secondary education with either a general science or social studies focus.
Project partners include community members, leaders and teacher educators from both institutions, representatives of the Amskaapi Piikani (Blackfeet) Nation, and local school districts serving the Blackfeet Nation.
“This grant will allow for the development of teachers who will be able to stay in our community while they complete their education and utilize our traditional homelands as classrooms,” said Betty Henderson-Matthews, Math-Science Division chair at Blackfeet Community College and project team member. “Our traditional homelands offer our teachers and students a classroom like no other. The students who participate in the project will have the support and traditional knowledge they can utilize in their classrooms to reinforce traditional practices and identify their place in today’s society.”
Christine Stanton, professor in the MSU Department of Education, highlighted that Montana is experiencing what she described as a “crisis level” teacher shortage. She noted that these shortages are particularly acute in schools serving Indian reservation communities where recruitment and retention of qualified secondary teachers are ongoing challenges.
According to data from the 2023-2024 academic year, nearly 10% of teaching positions statewide were either vacant or filled by individuals not meeting state qualifications for educators.
Stanton explained that schools near or on Montana’s seven Indian reservations often lack resources such as up-to-date technology, textbooks, equipment, and safe facilities. Teachers there may also work with students facing trauma or insecurity related to food or housing.
“Despite the challenges, reservation communities have powerful knowledge systems and resilient modes of transferring knowledge between generations,” Stanton said. “The pilot project seeks to recognize these strengths while addressing challenges specific to teacher education.”
She added that most current educator preparation programs do not adequately prepare candidates for work within reservation communities due partly to requirements for on-campus attendance far from those areas. Additionally, she noted that Indigenous expertise is often underrepresented during program planning.
“Supporting preparation of Indigenous teachers with and in the community is vital for educational sovereignty, which recognizes the need for learning that is not only culturally relevant but that actively revitalizes knowledges and experiences specific to individual Indigenous Nations,” Stanton said.
Henderson-Matthews added: “Our people have always been the best scientists. By embedding our traditional knowledge within the classroom, teachers and students can utilize past practices to teach future students and scientists about the importance of keeping and implementing practices developed by our ancestors and used for thousands of years.”
The pilot project aims to develop a culturally revitalizing model centered around community needs so students do not need to relocate for coursework or field experience such as student teaching. The curriculum will be modified—not just adapted—to reflect unique cultural perspectives present within participating communities.
“We’re integrating community knowledge in meaningful ways across all four years, and community partners will be really involved from the very beginning,” Stanton said. “We’re putting together a community advisory council, and those individuals will serve as mentors to the project team.”
Students enrolled will also have access to well-being workshops led by local experts familiar with trauma-informed practices relevant both inside schools and beyond.
“We know that teachers especially in contexts like reservation communities can experience lots of secondary trauma—and primary trauma too,” Stanton said. “There are some incredible experts in the community with lots of experience…so we hope having those individuals facilitate these workshops can help future teachers.”
Recruitment is underway for four ED IN MT Scholars who will form part of this first cohort; tuition assistance is available for participants interested in joining.
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies focuses on supporting quality-of-life improvements across several sectors including children’s welfare, environmental conservation, arts promotion, animal welfare initiatives—and collaborates closely with organizations aiming for lasting impact among underserved groups.
