Reading is a skill that a child takes with them for the rest of their life, so it’s incredibly important to build a strong foundation. Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA) supports educators in this mission through our American Indian Education Fund® (AIEF) program. 

Our Program Partner and Preschool Teacher, Carlee, loves sharing her love of reading with students at Red Shirt Table School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Carlee takes part in the AIEF Literacy service, getting regular deliveries of books and incentive items to encourage more reading at home.  

26% of Native families with children under 5 years old live below the federal poverty level, and in her five years of teaching, Carlee has seen families struggle financially. That makes household and hygiene items a big motivator for Red Shirt parents to be active in their child’s education. “We encourage parents to get involved, and if there’s any incentive, people look forward to that. A lot of parents are low-income, so any little thing helps. They appreciate things like baby wipes and laundry detergent.” 

More than half of the 50 students at Red Shirt from pre-k to eighth grade participate in the Literacy service, at school with reading buddies and at home. As a preschool student, 5-year-old Annalise is forming her reading foundation and learning names, sounds and letter recognition. Next year, she’ll learn to pick out simple words in books. 

Annalise likes to study science, and her class just finished learning about the life cycles of earthworms. She’s taken that love of learning to the outdoors, digging for worms and going fishing with her parents and siblings. Annalise is the youngest of four with a sister and three brothers. 

When Annalise grows up, she dreams of being a police officer or a firefighter. She has hard-working role models to look up to, with her dad in maintenance and her mom serving the community as a bus driver and cook.  

PWNA’s AIEF program and Literacy service bring crucial educational support to our program partners and their communities. Having these resources now will affect Native students lifelong.

Donate to AIEF today to make a difference for Native students like Annalise.