Sycuan Education Department
Sycuan recognizes the future of Sycuan’s social and economic advancement depends on Sycuan’s future leaders. Education is essential for the revitalization, retention, and maintenance of traditional knowledge that was passed down through our ancestors.
Sycuan identifies the crucial role of Indigenous knowledge as an integral part of Nation building in the present and future education of its tribal members and the Kumeyaay Nation at large.
Mission Statement
To empower, educate, and support the development of Sycuan youth to be innovative and empathetic leaders.
Vision Statement
Is that every Sycuan Scholar creates a personalized path that aligns with their purpose and upholds the mission and sovereignty of the Kumeyaay nation.
Leadership Team
Director of Education: Benoni Pantoja
Administrative Assistant: Aurora Aguila
ITP Lead Teacher: Viviana Ramirez
Learning Center Lead Teacher: Jennifer Althof
Teen Center & Young Adult Center Lead Teacher: Martha Tompkins
We have established the 5 P’s Framework:
Sycuan Educational Programs
The Infant and Toddler Program (ITP)
The focus of our ITP is to create an environment that supports their needs. We guide our young learners through fun activities that are just right for each child's age and stage of development. Our curriculum is created with developmentally appropriate lessons and engaging activities to help nurture their growing minds and bodies. Additionally, Cultural values, Spanish, and Kumeyaay language are incorporated throughout their day to ensure a balanced foundation in their learning.
Preschool
Our program is dedicated to supporting each child’s individual learning needs and goals to inspire and challenge our young learners. Our curriculum-based, academic-rich environment nurtures the early growth of their social, cognitive, and emotional skills. While simultaneously preparing them for academic success as they prepare to enter elementary grades. Additionally, Cultural values, Spanish, Kumeyaay language, and the important playtime that every child deserves are infused daily throughout the program to offer our students a balanced foundation in their learning.
Sycuan Learning Center
The Learning Center provides academic and social emotional support to Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade scholars of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. Our educated team of teachers and tutors develops supplemental and enrichment opportunities to students to promote skills that will serve them in school, family, and larger community. During the academic calendar year, we provide after-school homework support, cultural enrichment with the Sycuan Cultural Department, social emotional learning, and 21st century skill development. During spring, summer, and fall school breaks, our all-day program aims to enrich the minds and spirits of our youth through science, math, art, and literacy projects, fieldtrips, activities with the Sycuan Recreation Department, and other opportunities to learn and grow into adolescence.
Sycuan Teen & Young Adult Center (TYAC)
The Teen and Young Adult Center currently serves middle school students, high school students, and young adults. As we aim to empower our Sycuan scholars to find a purpose-driven career, we provide many opportunities to build skills such as reading literacy, computer literacy and numeracy. Our team of four teachers routinely monitors the academic progress of each student to develop individualized plans that address social-emotional needs as well as educational needs. During the school year, our main focus is after-school tutoring, but we also partner with the Cultural and Recreation Departments to offer a variety of enrichment activities. Our students also have daily access to an art area that fosters creativity by painting on canvas, manipulating clay, 3D printing or sketching. Our center’s art display is a testament to the beneficial impact of this restorative practice. During the summer break, our objective is to offer opportunities for our students to explore career pathways, career readiness, home-economics, financial literacy, or community service paired with fun activities to incentivize participation! Within the last year, we were excited to expand our program to include young adults who are either taking college courses or working toward their high school diplomas; our older students attend the center year-round as they develop the skills to navigate a purpose-driven life that contributes to the advancement of the Kumeyaay Nation Community.
Calendar of Education Events – Coming Soon!
Resources
College and Career-Readiness
Kumeyaay & Native-American Activities
Kumeyaay App
Land of the First People Scavenger Hunt (Old Town San Diego)
Articles
Videos
Parent & Academic Supports
Posters
Coming Soon!