The 13th annual Upper Peninsula Indian Educators’ Conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, at Northern Michigan University. It is designed for teachers, principals, counselors and other K-12 school staff members who work on a regular basis with American Indian students and their families or teach related material. There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is requested for the lunch by Sept. 16.

Keynote presenters are Small Cook (Bernadette) and Maheengun Shawanda. They run outdoor learning programs through the Great Lakes Cultural Camps in Ontario. Maheengun has been working with school districts in Ontario to demonstrate how outdoor activities can enhance student learning. Other presenters include educators in Indigenous language and financial literacy and representatives from EduGuide, an organization that helps prepare students for college. All sessions will be held in the NMU University Center.

The U.P. Indian Educators Conference is presented by the NMU Center for Native American Studies, the GEAR UP/College Day Program, the King-Chavez-Parks Visiting Professor Initiative, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement to implement a Teacher Training program as part of the Excellence in Economic Education Program. Additional support was provided by the NMU Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship.

For more information or to register, contact the Center for Native American Studies at (906) 227-1397 or visit www.nmu.edu/cnas.