Education

Only 53% of Native students in Bureau of Indian Education schools graduate. 

Education is one of the most important cornerstones of self-sufficiency and quality of life. It is also a crucial factor in addressing the long-term poverty and other challenges on the reservations we serve. PWNA helps our partner schools and colleges motivate students and retention. Our K-12 education services assist Native American students from pre-kindergarten to high school. 

PWNA furnishes school supplies for about 15,000 K-12 students annually.

We also support literacy for Native youth, providing supplies and incentives to encourage parent-child reading time. By addressing both immediate and long-term educational needs, we build on today and tomorrow.

Only 16% of Native Americans hold a college degree, yet 40% of Whites do. 

Many Native students believe college is not an option for them and, contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans. PWNA’s Higher Education Services increase college access and retention for Native American students.

Our Higher Education services aid up to 300 Native students annually.

PWNA awards scholarships for Native undergraduate and graduate students. We focus on applicants who are most often in the middle range of the academic ranking but who have serious drive and demonstrated the ability to overcome obstacles. We also:

• award vocational scholarships when funding permits
• provide laptops to first-year students in need
• provide care packs and mentoring to scholarship recipients
• provide holiday gifts to the children and siblings of scholars