Native American After-School Program

Dear Friends:

NAAF’s 2022-2023 After-School Program continues to roll on with over 40 students enrolled in both the GuVo and Ali Chugk communities.  The only thing to put a damper on things in the GuVo District this quarter, pun intend, has been some chilly, wet, and windy weather.  While freezing temperatures, high winds and heavy rains brought with them some weather advisories and transportation issues, such as bus delays and flooded roads, it was not enough to dampen, another intended pun, the learning taking place in GuVo – although in early February NAAF and The Store did give away gloves, beanies, and socks to help community members try to stay warm.  There were also plenty of beautiful days to enjoy as well, so much so that some of the pictures below show some of the District’s young learners enjoying both a perfect March afternoon and a STEM lesson while working outside on their engineering skills.

Education staff have also been working hard on outreach.  For example, in March, NAAF hosted a Safety Fair for all GuVo District students and their families. Pre-school students were able to attend earlier in the day and take-home fun giveaway items, while all the school aged students were able to attend later in the day and enjoy interacting with the area’s first responders. Not only did they get to talk with the representatives that serve the District they also had the opportunity to explore some to the tools and equipment the first responders use to carry out their work. 

Outreach also played a vital part for older students with an eye on the future as NAAF’s educational staff were on hand to get an early start on promoting summer learning opportunities and help interested students connect to programs like the INSPIRE Summer Program at Arizona State University, which focuses on personal and academic success through culturally relevant programming, or the 2023 Summer Bridge program at Central Arizona College offered by TRIO Student Support Services, which focuses on providing a campus-based experience, activities and workshops to help recent grads become successful college students.  Staff also got a jump on things at the beginning of the new year by reminding students thinking about attending college in the fall that it was time to start filling out college applications, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) paperwork, and potential scholarship opportunities, such as the Freeport-McMoRan and Education Forward Arizona’s Native American Scholarship. 

Other exciting and fun happenings that occurred for the children and families of GuVo included in January, NAAF, as part of the TON’s Healthy People Coalition, hosted a Sober Family Bingo at The Store, all GuVo District community members were inviting to take part in a fun-filled event with free food and prizes. In February NAAF’s Prevention staff hosted a “Healthy Native American Minds” workshop in Ali Jek for adults that focused on how to cope with stress and anxiety session.  In March, a brand-new greenhouse was added as part of Ruth’s Oidag (Garden). The new greenhouse added an additional 800 square foot to the garden and increased STEM learning opportunities for the District’s young and growing learners.  Finally, as mentioned in the last report, the GuVo District had been working toward opening the Free as a Bird Skatepark.  For years young O’odham have taken up skateboarding and were vital in creating the vision for this skatepark. Through the dedication and strength of the young people and community, they pushed forward and manifested this skatepark into fruition.  The park’s Grand Opening was held this March.

Dear Friends,

We’re so excited to share everything happening in GuVo District right now. 

The After-School Program kicked off the 2022-2023 school year on August 8th. Attendance is back to fully in-person, with 41 enrolled students between GuVo and our NEW second location at the Al Jek Rec Center in Ali Chugk community. NAAF's education team of Monica, Selina, Malena, and Addy have developed an exciting curriculum, including STEAM activities, I:mig (Tohono O'odham language immersion), traditional wreath making, music lessons with Tucson Girls Chorus, harvesting butternut squash, beans, and melons in the oidag, and caring for the flock of 12 hens, who are laying up to 10 eggs every few days, shared with community members. 

Evidence-based learning is incorporated throughout each week with curriculums such as Botvin LifeSkills, including lessons and activities adapted to honor culture as prevention. The student-artists are flourishing after their art classes this summer, as evidenced by some really stellar entries in NAAF’s annual Holiday in the Desert greeting card art contest, and Program Coordinator Addy weaves O’odham language into drawing classes; students learn about babad (frog) and s-ce:dag`(green) while drawing adorable frog pictures and playing math leapfrog games with O’odham numbers. Ethan is teaching the students traditional songs and round dances for all ages. 

In more great news, we are taking field trips again!  Addy recently chaperoned a group of ASP students to the Peace Parade in Ajo, where they learned poi spinning, and the kids also traveled to Marana, Arizona for a Halloween pumpkin patch festival with a zipline and a petting zoo. On October 14, NAAF hosted its own all-ages carnival-style Fall Festival for GuVo District, complete with educational booths, face painting, outdoor games, arts and crafts, a costume contest, and a Fun Run. NAAF also unveiled our brand new Library Kits! Students can borrow take-home kits for Alphabet, STEM, Dinosaurs, and other fun learning adventures for the whole family. 

Staff have been working hard on outreach, with our new Prevention Specialist Christie Manuel visiting San Simon Elementary School kids during Red Ribbon Week for a culture as prevention presentation centering healthy, fun alternatives to substance abuse - a graduate of San Simon herself, Christie was a big hit, and she will be continuing these visits in the future! The Early Ed team also gave a talk at the Tohono O’odham Community College symposium on language immersion; NAAF’s Early Ed program is the first of its kind among the four sister tribes. As always, NAAF’s goal is to share our strategies for educational success throughout the Tohono O’odham Nation so that we can uplift all community members.

NAAF’s Learning Center has continued to serve as a tutoring and college counseling access point for multiple District students, becoming an educational resource that has far surpassed our vision when it was established during the pandemic. The RLC served over 30 students in person last quarter, with more accessing virtual resources. 

Big congratulations are in order for NAAF's Garden Assistant MJ Ramon, who recently received his GED! He advised new GED students to study hard, and that this will positively impact his life by giving him new opportunities. MJ is a valued member of the community and has been a major advocate for GuVo District's Free as a Bird Skatepark, soon to open this Winter!  

All the best to you and your loved ones,

NAAF