Press release from Friends of the Smokies:
ASHEVILLE, NC – Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will continue to work together to expand and improve the Seeking Paths in Nature (SPiN) program to reach more students in Western North Carolina through a $106,000 grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The funds received by Friends of the Smokies for the 2017 grant cycle mark the third year of Cherokee Preservation Foundation’s support of the program.
The SPiN program develops curricula for middle and high school students that integrates Cherokee culture and history into existing park education programs. Lessons and activities are designed through the collaboration and coordination of Cherokee Central Schools teachers, members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and NPS staff to ensure the curriculum meets educational standards, STEM requirements, and appropriately incorporates Cherokee culture.
For the first time, this grant includes funds for an overnight field trip to Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont for Cherokee Central School’s middle school students. “This overnight experience provides hands-on, experiential learning for the middle school students as well as their teachers, something you just can’t get inside a classroom,” said Anna Zanetti, NC Director of Friends of the Smokies.
A full-time SPiN coordinator will work with National Park Service (NPS) staff and educators at Cherokee Central Schools, New Kituwah Academy, and Haywood, Swain, Jackson, Cherokee, and Graham County school systems. The coordinator will utilize and improve the curriculum kits and organize field trips, reaching more than 5,500 students.
Cherokee Preservation Foundation has continued to preserve culture, protect the environment, and create diverse economic opportunities to improve the quality of life for the EBCI and our neighbors in Western North Carolina. Cherokee Preservation Foundation received the Outstanding Foundation award at National Philanthropy Day last November in recognition of their commitment to the SPiN program and their community enrichment efforts.
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