Seminole State College’s Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI) program has been awarded a supplemental grant award of $150,694. The grant proposal was written by NASNTI Director Kay Wallace and includes several initiatives to promote Native American language and culture.

“We are thrilled to receive this supplemental grant award,” Wallace said. “These initiatives will help us promote Native American language and culture and provide our students with unique opportunities to learn about their heritage.”

The grant will be used between now and September 30, 2024, to fund the following initiatives: bringing the Cherokee National Youth Choir to campus, publishing the SSC NASNTI newsletter in 5 native languages, a roundtable discussion about “Native Language in the Workplace” and a Native American Language Symposium that will focus on “The Methods of AI in Preserving and Revitalizing Native Languages” that will have a keynote speaker and three breakout sessions with expert presenters/speakers.

“Kay Wallace’s hard work and dedication to the NASNTI program has been instrumental in securing this grant award. We are proud of her accomplishments and look forward to seeing

the positive impact these initiatives will have on our students,” SSC President Lana Reynolds said.

Since the beginning of the fall semester, the NASNTI program has sponsored multiple events spotlighting Native American culture, including the Osage Ballet, a presentation by “Killers of the Flower Moon” author David Grann, a discussion on Native language and culture by photographer Matika Wilbur and an upcoming screening of the documentary “Searching for Sequoyah” on Nov. 2.

SSC’s NASNTI grant program is 100% federally funded in the amount of $450,000 annually. In addition to hosting cultural experiences on campus, the grant also provides support for students with disabilities by training faculty and staff in best practices, implementing assistive devices and technology and redesigning foundational courses to ensure they best support online students with disabilities.

For more information or questions, contact SSC NASNTI Director Kay Wallace at 405-382-9646 or k.wallace@sscok.edu.