NATIVE WAYS 2 COLLEGE (NW2C) is an exciting and ground-breaking new project that is specially designed to support middle school and high school Native American students in Los Angeles County to plan, prepare, and pursue pathways to higher education.
Our goal is to empower the self-determination of Los Angeles County Native American students and their families with access to educational choices and services that will cultivate a living Indigenous education ecosystem within our unique geographical, historical, and cultural context.
The AIR initiative and the NW2C Project was designed by Anahuacalmecac, an Indigenous community-based charter school in Los Angeles, and has partnered with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Gabrielino-Shoshone Tribal Council of Southern California, community-based organizations, and other local service providers to offer year-round, high quality culturally relevant educational and mental wellness services in Los Angeles to impact 1000 students across tribal identities, districts, and schools. NW2C’s programming will inspire and cultivate students’ Native identities creating pathways to high school graduation, college enrollment, and retention.
“College is not a destination. It’s an experience on our pathways to self-determination.”
Marcos Aguilar
AIR Initiative Director and Chair, Tzicatl CDC Board of Directors
