Join the Native American Code Writers Collaborative Mailing List
Click here to Join the Collaborative Mailing List
Please join our Native American Code Writers Collaborative. If you are a K-14 computer science, coding, or technology classroom teacher; informal or out-of-school-time educator, faculty member, or a education stakeholder, we would like to include you in our communications.
Vision
Native American students in Arizona are ready for a technology-based education and career and understand the societal and economic impacts of their computational skills within their own communities.
Mission
To support and bring together K-14 educators (classroom teachers, informal educators, and community and Tribal college faculty) and education stakeholders from nonprofits, local communities, business and industry, and the public sector to create learning experiences that build computational skills and abilities for Native American students.
Specific Objective: Create a Community of Practice for Arizona K-14 educators that:
- Provides professional development experiences that focus on building computational skills and abilities.
- Shares knowledge and best practices for engaging Native youth in the societal impacts of technology-based education and careers.
- Promotes collaborative opportunities for K-14 educators to learn from and support each other.
Activities:
- Distribute a monthly newsletter.
- Offer virtual professional development seminars and workshops facilitated by guest experts.
- Hold an annual, in-person collaboration conference to promote and support multi-organizational teams to leverage greater societal impacts.
- Offer mini-grants to support collaborative and synergistic learning or teaching opportunities.
- Curate a data-base of guest experts that are committed to encourage students to pursue technology-based education and career pathways through in-person or virtual classroom visits.
Approach to Community Engagement:
Respect – Centering the indigenous-based principle of respect to guide our harmonious interactions ethically, relationally, and environmentally.
Responsibility - It is our sacred responsibility to honor and care for Indigenous students, staff, faculty, family, and allies.
Relationship - We acknowledge and honor our relationships through trust, wisdom, and strength necessary to establish and cultivate relationality with one another and the universe.
Reciprocity - Demonstrating appreciation and gratitude for the exchange of information and knowledge to build and maintain harmonious communities.
Representation - Indigenization holds accountable the systems and structures that prevent multi-dimensional Indigenous representations and participation. We strive to center, honor, and prioritize contemporary voices, identities, and experiences, and increase the presence of Indigenous educators, staff, students, families, and communities.
Redistribution – We value the standard of more equitable redistribution of institutional resources to meet the needs of Indigenous educators, staff, students, families, and communities.
Upcoming Events:
Check back soon!
Past Events:
September 6, 2025 | 1:00 4:00 PM
Micro:bit Training, Grades 3-8
Arizona Science Center
Learn how to integrate Micro: bits into our teaching to make computer science and STEM engaging. This hands-on workshop covers basic programming, lesson ideas, and interactive projects.
Reflexivity in Practice: Tools for Culturally Responsive Education
This workshop introduces participants to the concept and practice of reflexivity as a tool to enhance culturally responsive communication. Through guided exercises, independent reflection, and case studies drawn from CienciaPR’s Reflexivity Workbook, participants will explore how their own identities and experiences—as well as those of their audiences—shape their education and communication strategies. The session will equip attendees with practical tools to apply reflexivity in their work, fostering more effective engagement with a broader range of communities.
November 5, 2025
4:30 - 5:45 PM
Register Here
Resources and Grant Opportunities:
Articles of Interest:
A New State-Wide Native American Code Writers Collaborative Announced
Unprecedented Native American Academic Gains Celebrated by Horne
Arizona schools are celebrating record improvements in Reading and Math proficiency among Native American students, thanks to targeted support and collaboration with tribal leaders. Since 2023, average scores have surged statewide, with Chinle Unified seeing the biggest jump, as three schools now outperform the state average and Many Farms School reaching 45% proficiency. Districts like Ganado, Red Mesa, and Baboquivari also reported more than 100% growth in student proficiency. State Superintendent Tom Horne praised the progress as a result of focused strategies, dedicated educators, and strong community partnerships, a major step toward expanding future opportunities for Native students.
