The Project Coordinator will advise Bilingual Master's Fellows, recruit participating faculty, revise course syllabi, participate in the Summer Learn in Beauty Institute and disseminate information about the project.

Dr. Gina P. Cantoni, Regent's Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ph.D. University of Rome, is the Area Coordinator of Bilingual Multicultural Education at NAU where she coordinates graduate and undergraduate programs statewide and advises a cohort of Title VII Doctoral Fellows. She is the author of Content Area Language Instruction (1987) and Stabilizing Indigenous Languages (1996).

Project Director (50%)

The Project Director will coordinate efforts of the University, the consortium sites and the Division of Diné Education, meet with mentor teachers three times a year, and meet with Mentor Teachers and Master's Fellows at each site once each semester. The Project Director will advise Bilingual Master's Fellows. The Project Director will assist the mentor teachers in a Navajo language curriculum project during the Summer Institute and coordinate the publication and implementation of culturally bound Navajo language thematic units for each consortium site.

Dr. Louise Lockard, Assistant Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ph.D University of Arizona, is the author of "New Paper Words; Historical Images of Navajo Language Literacy" (1995). She teaches BME 534: Science and Math for the LEP.

Project Faculty

The Project Faculty will teach graduate level courses in Bilingual Multicultural Education at a site on the Navajo Nation or during Summer Sessions at Northern Arizona University. The Project Faculty advises Bilingual Master's Fellows.

Dr. Jon Reyhner, Associate Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ed.D. Montana State U., teaches the capstone course in the Master's program: BME 698. He is the author of Teaching American Indian Students (1992) and Teaching Indigenous Languages (1997) He serves as editor of the NABE News column "Issues in American Indian/ Alaskan Native Education."

Dr. Roberto Carrasco, Associate Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ed. D. Harvard University is co-principal investigator of the National Science Foundation funded project: "Native Science Connection". He teaches BME 637: The Cultural Component of Bilingual Multicultural Education.

Dr. Norbert Francis, Assistant Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ph.D. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico is Co-Principal Investigator of the Ford Foundation sponsored" International Partnership for Study and Teaching of Issues Related to Indigenous Cultures". He teaches BME 634: Testing Minority Students.

Dr. W. Sakiestewa Gilbert, Associate Professor of Bilingual Multicultural Education, Ed.D. University of New Mexico, is co-principal investigator of the National Science Foundation funded project: "Native Science Connection.". He teaches BME 480: Parent and Community Involvement.

Learn in Beauty Summer Institute Director

The Summer Institute Director will coordinate efforts of the University, the consortium sites and the Diné Division of Education and will assist the Mentor Teachers and the Bilingual Master's Fellows in a Navajo language curriculum development project during the Summer Institute.

Marjorie Thomas holds a BA in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University and an MA in Educational Leadership from the University of New Mexico. She has served as a teacher, bilingual coordinator and principal in schools on the Navajo Nation and worked with curriculum and school reform for over 30 years. She was a founding member of the Diné bi Ol ta Association and President of the Diné Language Teachers' Association. In 1997 she retired as Assistant Superintendent of the Chinle Unified Schools to devote her efforts to the development of the Central Navajo Youth Recreation Facility.

Mentor Teachers

Fourteen mentor teachers, two from each consortium target school, will collaborate with the Bilingual Fellows in developing Navajo language curriculum in their local communities. They will participate in the Summer Institute as Site Leaders and they will meet with project staff three times a year.

Language Skills of Personnel

Northern Arizona University, as a part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, ensures that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age or handicapping condition. All of the project personnel are fluent and literate in English and have extensive experience in Reservation schools and communities. The Summer Institute Director and the mentor teachers are fluent and literate in Navajo.