We are seeing real successes in our family members marking milestones in their educational careers.

As Dr. Niki Sandoval, our tribal education director and member of the state Board of Education, explains: “Our strong high school and college graduation rates are the direct result of the tribe’s investment in education. We encourage our families to enroll their children in pre-school. School readiness sets the stage for achievement.”

Academic readiness does indeed set the stage, and our education department has been promoting such preparation for kindergarten by supporting the pre-school education.

We do not stop there, though. Dozens of credentialed teachers tutor more than 100 of our students at levels from preschool to college in Santa Barbara County and elsewhere.

We also have a Learning Center on our reservation, established by a vote of our tribal General Council. The center has a computer lab, library, parent resources, curricular materials and study spaces for tutorial sessions individualized for each student. Some study spaces have smaller-sized tables and chairs to accommodate children in pre-school or kindergarten.