Tule River Indian Tribe

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The overall function of the Tule River Education Department is to provide assistance to community members in all of their educational needs. The Tule River Education Department renders assistance to adults and children with tutoring, homework, summer school, language, college preparation, and funding for higher education.

Our primary mission is to serve the students of the Tule River Indian Reservation. Everything we do is to enhance opportunities of being a student. We are committed to quality and simplicity. Our system is clear and practical, yet fundamentally sound. We are open to challenges and changes because these create opportunities. Our product has value because education has value. What we learn today we will use for a lifetime. Education is a lifelong process, not a destination.

The Tule River Education Department provides qualified teachers and tutors at two locations: Towanits Indian Education Center, located on the Tule River Reservation, and the Tule River Indian Study Center, located in Porterville.

The Towanits Indian Education Center features a large library, computer lab and the Waterford and Success Maker Programs. The staff consists of eight teachers, one tutor, one librarian, one computer technician, one home/school liaison, one secretary, and two transporters. Each teacher provides assistance to approximately twenty-five assigned students daily and tracks their students’ school attendance and grades to ensure those students are maintaining a ninety percent attendance rate and are above a 2.0 grade point average.

The Tule River Indian Study Center was established in 2001 and now has over 120 students attending daily. The 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio is key to the success the Tule River Indian Study Center has enjoyed throughout the past ten years. The staff consists of seventeen teachers, two tutors, two secretaries, and six transporters.

Summer school is provided at both locations and focuses on reading comprehension, math skills, writing techniques, physical fitness, and cultural enrichment. The summer school students are introduced to a system of experiential learning where they study a subject throughout the week and experience the subject first-hand on a field trip. Some of the planned field trips this summer are The Aquarium of the Pacific, The Museum of Science and Natural History for the Education Center, The La Brea Tar Pits and Historic Jamestown for the Study Center.

The Tule River Education Department offers services that include:

• Adult Education Scholarships for
• Part-time college and university
• On-line college and university
• Career-Specific Programs
• Graduation Incentives
• Educational Field Trips
• GED and High School Diploma Program
• Butterfield High School Satellite Program
• Student Academic Incentives
• Summer Youth Work Program
• Summer Internship Program
• Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Department

We look forward to providing continued assistance to the community members and aiding in all of their educational needs. We aim to continue funding higher education programs and will strive to increase funding for all of our programs so as to provide even greater educational benefits for the community members of the Tule River Indian Reservation.

 

**** ***** Education Director 559.781.1761	Jason Porter Assistant Director 559.784.6135 ext 5001	Veronica Rodriguez Education Specialist 559.791.1347