For half a century, the Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program (ITEPP) has supported Native American Indian students in a wide array of disciplines.
Local tribal members and HSU faculty founded the Indian Teacher Education Project in 1969 to support 18 American Indian students preparing to become teachers. It has since enhanced and extended services to all majors.
In 2012 it was renamed the Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program to reflect the inclusion of students from a broad array of majors.
ITEPP staff members work closely with students to provide advising and culturally relevant mentorship, and to connect them with leadership and work opportunities.
The program also hosts major events such as the annual California Indian Big Time & Social Gathering, a public event that honors California Native traditions and the traditional Wiyot Tribe land, on which the campus is located. Last year, ITEPP coordinated Indigenous Peoples Week and a Native American Professionals Speaker Series.
ITEPP also works with Housing & Residence Life to offer the Native Living Suite, an on-campus living community for students interested in the issues, culture, and values of Native American tribes.
“The goals of the original visionaries continue to be manifested in the academic advising, programming, and educational planning,” says ITEPP Coordinator Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond. “The program reflects the commitment of the founding advisory board who set the precedent of honoring an education ingrained with cultural values. Turning 50 confirms ITEPP’s commitment to community.”
“A large network of ITEPP alumni continue to guide the direction of the program,” she says.
The gala is free and open to the public. ITEPP alumni and their families are encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by calling 707.826.3672 or emailing hsuitepp@humboldt.edu.