POLLEN: Indigenous Principals for Indigenous Communities

The Promoting Our Leadership, Learning, and Empowering Nations (POLLEN) program housed in the College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS) is preparing the next wave of Indigenous school principals.

This immersive, licensure program began in 2016 to put teachers on a direct pathway to higher leadership in Indigenous or Native-serving schools. It has since received roughly $750,000 in grant funding to secure the future of principals and learners.

It’s also the only one of its kind in the country, according to POLLEN Coordinator and Professor Shawn Secatero.

POLLEN is based around carefully selected core elements of Indigenous leadership. There are 16 well-being pillars in total, including things like language, spirituality, medicinal healing, and environmental well-being. Each of those has its own sub-strengths listed and required for mastery and balance for leaders.

Learn more about the POLLEN program, as well as the COEHS’s Indigenous teacher licensure program right now on their website. Applications for the next cohort will open soon.

See the full story at https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-s-pollen-program-fills-critical-principal-shortage-in-indigenous-schools