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Though the program is only a year old, a career pathways initiative aimed at American Indian students has already resulted in improved grades.

Veronica Van Mechelen, a representative of the Redwood Coast Indian Career Pathways program, focused on three students, one whose grades in English, science and history went from Ds to As and Bs and whose math grade went from C+ to B in a trimester.

Another student’s grades went from Cs and Ds in math, English, science and history to As and Bs a trimester after taking part in the new program, she said.

“We had students we worked with during project report time and we showed their jumps from Cs, Ds and Fs to As and Bs,” Van Mechelen told trustees. “We worked with students, sometimes parents, and sometimes parents actually brought them in and walked them to us a couple of times. And we’ve worked with teachers. We’ve developed relationships with them and actually go into the classes so we understand what the assignments are and we know what’s being required in those classes.”

Reporting to the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Trustees, which met at Margaret Keating Elementary School on Thursday, Van Mechelen said the Redwood Coast Indian Career Pathways programs works with roughly 605 American Indian sixth- through 12th-graders. Funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, the initiative aims to prepare students for a career or advancement to a technical school or college.

The program’s goal is to increase high school graduation rates among Del Norte’s American Indian students from 63.24 percent to 80 percent; to increase college readiness rates from 8.09 percent to 20 percent among American Indian students; and for eighth-graders to successfully transition into high school. According to Van Mechelen, a successful transition from middle school to high school means passing four classes including algebra, geometry and English.

The initiative also aims to have 50 percent of Del Norte’s American Indian students earn 90 dual enrollment units in high school and college or complete a 100-hour internship, Van Mechelen said.
DNUSD has 605 American Indian students in sixth- through 12th-grade.

According to Van Mechelen, the program will focus on early childhood education, natural resources and entrepreneurship. Under the early childhood education pathway, students can complete 12 early childhood development college units they can apply toward work in the Head Start program or a teaching degree.

The natural resources pathway will focus on the fisheries, range management, forestry and water quality fields.

Meanwhile, entrepreneurship will serve as an introduction to self employment in a variety of industries including agriculture and retail. Students will be able to start their own business or use the skills they learn in the private sector, Van Mechelen said.

The program also provides guest speakers, education plans for students, college tours, career fairs and help with applying for scholarships and financial aid, she said.

Van Mechelen said the students involved in the program have also had a hand in guiding it.

“The students themselves identified a need for having a peer group,” she said. “At Crescent Elk it’s been a Native American club, and it’s been very successful. That led to three additional clubs at Redwood, Del Norte High School and Margaret Keating. Each one of those clubs is unique to the student populations and they’re student driven.”

Crescent Elk’s Native American club decided to focus on college and career tours and presenters. Van Mechelen said they came up with a long list of potential speakers.

The clubs at Redwood, Del Norte High School and Margaret Keating are just beginning, Van Mechelen said. Redwood School’s club will focus on cultural activities and Margaret Keating’s Golden Bears Leaders Club is leaning toward community service, she said.

The Redwood Coast Indian Career Pathways operates under the Del Norte County Office of Education, along with the Yurok Tribe, Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Resighini Rancheria, Elk Valley Rancheria and the Northern California Indian Development Council, according to a DNUSD press release.

Though the program is relatively new, school board president Frank Magarino was impressed by its successes so far.

“That’s an amazing turnaround from one semester to another,” he said of the students Van Mechelen mentioned.

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