ᎤᎾᏕᏠᏆᏍᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎾᏕᏲᏗ, the Cherokee Nation’s Teacher Bridge Program, is committed to further developing participants’ Cherokee language proficiency while preparing them to be Cherokee Language Teachers. The program will focus on expanding social capacity through strengthening professional teaching skills for Cherokee Nation educational programs and other local educational institutions with whom we partner. Participants will develop the cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical skills needed to effectively teach Cherokee language learners using the Cherokee Language.
Participants will engage in class sessions Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and will receive an educational cash benefit as part of this two-year, 40-hour-a-week program. The main classroom will be in Tahlequah, OK, but there will be required field experiences and other travel at certain times during the program. Class sessions will be in a Cherokee language immersion environment, employing a combination of discussion, direct instruction, and project-based activities. The number of applicants selected will be based on program availability.
Bearing in mind the very different rates at which people learn language, Teacher Bridge Participants could expect to be at a mid-to-high-advanced level of Cherokee proficiency (as described by the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages) at the end of the two-year program. They will also be able to employ a variety of language teaching methods for all ages of students.
To be selected for the program, the following requirements must be met:
Preferred qualifications:
Application Deadline for Cohort 1: November 1, 2023Classes start: January 4, 2024
No. Four applicants are chosen for each cohort based on the requirements listed above and after undergoing an interview and language proficiency evaluation process.
Yes. You may reapply at the appointed time each year.
We are dedicated to meeting the needs of Cherokee language classrooms throughout the Cherokee Nation, specifically the Cherokee Language Immersion School. Teacher Bridge graduates may go on to work in various Cherokee Nation language programs or with other community partners.
Applications can be submitted to lauren-hummingbird@cherokee.org or mailed to:
Cherokee Nation Teacher Bridge ProgramPO Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465No late applications will be accepted.
Selected applicants will be contacted via email within three weeks of the application deadline.
