Steppingstone to the Future: Career and Technical Education at Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Abstract

Career and Technical Education, Features | November 13, 2023 Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC) is among the leading tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) for enrollment in career and technical education (CTE) programs. Since their inception over 50 years ago, tribal colleges and universities have had a strong focus on CTE, offering students a variety of opportunities to develop skillsets that prepare them for the workforce. At CCCC, students receive experience working in the field and can continue at the college for the associate's degree, with the potential to transfer into a bachelor's program via a 2+2 agreement with Mayville State University, a public four-year institution that's part of the larger North Dakota University System. During the ECE internship, students receive hands-on experience working in an early childhood field such as Head Start, Early Head Start, Family and Community Engagement (FACE), home-based daycares, community or private daycares, preschools, kindergartens, or primary education up through third grade. The program focuses on basic carpentry processes and safety on the worksite, and covers solving basic mathematical problems, blueprint reading, and the safe use of hand tools, power tools, and other equipment and materials of the trade.

Career and Technical Education, Features | November 13, 2023

Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC) is among the leading tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) for enrollment in career and technical education (CTE) programs. Since their inception over 50 years ago, tribal colleges and universities have had a strong focus on CTE, offering students a variety of opportunities to develop skillsets that prepare them for the workforce. Such is the case at CCCC, the tribal college of the Spirt Lake Tribe located in Fort Totten, North Dakota, which was founded as Little Hoop Community College in 1974. CTE programs at CCCC include business administration, social work, early childhood education, carpentry, certified driver license training, and advanced manufacturing.

Today, the demand for professionals with a business administration degree and an understanding of core business concepts continues to increase. To help meet that demand, CCCC students interested in managing a business, exploring an entrepreneurial vision, and/or completing the first two years toward a four-year degree are encouraged to apply to the Associate of Arts in Business Administration Program. The program also offers an administrative assistant certificate that can be completed in one year. The certificate provides the student with a foundation for entry-level positions in customer service, administrative assistant services, or basic accounting, as well as with basic computer skills training. Through courses in technology, communication, computer application, and office procedures and methods, the student learns to meet the needs of all types of dynamic office environments.

At CCCC, students receive experience working in the field and can continue at the college for the associate's degree, with the potential to transfer into a bachelor's program via a 2+2 agreement with Mayville State University, a public four-year institution that's part of the larger North Dakota University System. This is a vital and expanding CTE pathway program at CCCC with a recent average of 78 students per academic year. These graduates find work with the Spirit Lake Tribe's various grant-funded programs or businesses.

Social work is another field where students can find work right at home in the Spirit Lake Nation. The Associate of Arts in social work at CCCC is structured as a 2+2 transfer program with the University of North Dakota (UND) Social Work Program, which leads to the bachelor's degree. Most students enrolled in this program are striving to become licensed social workers who work for the Spirit Lake Social Services Department, although a few go on to work for CCCC Head Start as family services advocates. This social work program averages 72 students per academic year, providing students with the essential prerequisites in biology, mathematics, English, and social sciences, as well as the social work courses that are prerequisites to qualify for the baccalaureate degree in most social work programs throughout North Dakota.

At CCCC, the Pre-Engineering Program gives students the training and skills to work as lab technicians or to transfer to a four-year institution.

CCCC social work students must do a 40-hour internship to complete the program. This internship can take place in senior services; health sciences; tribal health, recovery, and wellness; diabetes treatment and services; tribal social services; victim assistance; vocational rehabilitation; and early childhood education. The paid internship gives the student hands-on experience in the field of social work. "My internship helped me with my studies and my career aspirations in many ways. I was able to apply real-life skills and applicable practice to both my study in the Social Work Program as well as develop my career skills," explains Tifani Bachmeier, a CCCC social work graduate. "I learned things like interventions, documentation standards, and program policy that will help me in my career as I continue my education and social work growth in life." The knowledge gained from the internship experience helps students like Bachmeier succeed when going on to obtain a bachelor's or master's degree.

Another popular program at CCCC is in early childhood education (ECE). Graduates of the Early Learning Program go on to provide an important community and cultural role, impacting the education and development of children on the Spirit Lake Dakota reservation. The CCCC ECE Program is balanced to include both an academic base and methods courses, and it includes a 180-hour required internship. During the ECE internship, students receive hands-on experience working in an early childhood field such as Head Start, Early Head Start, Family and Community Engagement (FACE), home-based daycares, community or private daycares, preschools, kindergartens, or primary education up through third grade.

Many ECE students are employees at the CCCC Head Start Program and therefore have access to additional support via the Tribal College Partnership Project. The goal of the project is for 30 CCCC Head Start teachers to obtain a bachelor's in ECE and become lead classroom teachers. CCCC has had a long-time partnership with Mayville State University (MSU) and more recently established the 2+2 articulation agreement for the ECE bachelor's program that is conducted online. The ECE program of study at CCCC averages 72 students throughout the academic year.

"Being a new student to early childhood education has been a fun learning experience for me because not only is everything new to me, I have enjoyed it as well," says Noelle Dauphinais, one of the graduating ECE AA students. "Having the pleasure of being in a classroom with all these bright, young students for my internship has really helped me out with ECE coursework," Dauphinais adds. "I learned a lot about curriculum and play before I took my internship, and it was hard for me to understand at first. Then while interning, I was able to see how the lead teacher implemented her curriculum in the classroom. This has helped and made a lot of my coursework easier to understand and complete. During my internship, I was also able to witness firsthand the different types of learning styles of the children."

Dauphinais says that much of what she learned in her ECE classes proved useful during her internship. She is currently the Partnership Project coordinator for CCCC's Head Start. The internship has been both beneficial to her program of study and has helped her manage and lead her career successfully. Dauphinais hopes that one day she can serve as the director of CCCC's Head Start. "Having the opportunity to step in a classroom for my internship has better helped me understand a lot of what the teachers go through on a daily basis," she explains. "It also has helped me understand what the children may go through and how we as educators can better assist their educational needs."

CCCC president, Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, observes how an object can be scanned three dimensionally. Courses in advanced manufacturing familiarize CCCC students with cutting edge technologies.

A new opportunity for both ECE and social work students at CCCC is the Tribal College Apprenticeship Program, a privately funded grant program for the five North Dakota tribal colleges that seeks to establish registered apprenticeships for tribal employment. CCCC continues its long partnership with Lake Region State College (LRSC) in setting up these apprenticeships, as LRSC has become the state's expert for the "earn and learn" model for academic institutions. The model provides opportunities in high demand occupations using work study, internships, certifications, and apprenticeships to equip participants to fill workforce needs while building a life-long career pathway. The model allows for each college to design a project specific to their respective needs and the available resources within each tribal community. "Working together for the needs of our communities and our students has always been core to the relationship," says Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, CCCC president. The model is supported by the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education and the North Dakota Workforce Development Council. CCCC offers apprenticeships in ECE to support the CCCC Head Start Program in training and preparing teaching staff.

CCCC also sponsors apprenticeships in social work to help fill the many needed positions for tribal social services, victims' assistance, vocational rehabilitation, Benson or Ramsey County social services, and behavioral health programs. Plans for future apprenticeships include carpentry, certified driving licensure, business administration, natural resource management, pre-engineering, advanced manufacturing, and Indigenous studies. "CCCC is a significant tribal employer, and integrating apprenticeships with our academic programming will help build the pathway for faculty, student services, and other institutional positions," states Dr. Lindquist.

Another popular and vital program is carpentry, which has been a stable, cornerstone program throughout CCCC's 50 years. This certificate program is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in residential and commercial construction and takes one year to complete. Through the program, students become prepared to apply for positions as entry-level carpenters, including rough carpenters, trim carpenters, framers, roofers, and cabinetmakers. They also gain skills in estimating, working in lumber yards, delivery, and in many other areas. The program focuses on basic carpentry processes and safety on the worksite, and covers solving basic mathematical problems, blueprint reading, and the safe use of hand tools, power tools, and other equipment and materials of the trade. Students in CCCC's Carpentry Program have the opportunity to participate in carpentry-related service and experiential

learning activities both on and off campus. The CCCC Carpentry Program is certified through the North Dakota Career and Technical Education Department and is funded under the Native American Career and Technical Education Program by the United States Department of Education. Enrollment for the Carpentry Program averages 25 students. CCCC has capped enrollment at 30 students per semester due to safety considerations but also to provide each student with more experience and time with the instructors. "The Carpentry Program has been a great learning experience. Your classmates become coworkers, so you learn to work in a team setting," comments Tara Dauphinais, one of the students from the class of 2022. "By completing this program, I want to do more for my community by helping to fix it up. I learned it takes patience to figure things out, especially building a house from the ground up. I'm hoping to start my own carpentry business and learn other building trade skills such as plumbing, HVAC, and electrical."

Producing skilled graduates is also central to CCCC's Certified Driver's License (CDL) Program. The college is an entry level driver training facility, registered in the Training Provider Registry with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This allows CCCC to provide CDL training that prepares the students to have a successful career driving a semi-truck or bus. The training occurs over a 16-week period, a timeframe that may be expedited if the student has the initiative or an employer has a need.

Early childhood education students gain practical knowledge and experience working in the Head Start classroom. Most ECE students at the college go on to complete the bachelor's degree at nearby Mayville State University.

In the CDL Program, students learn the rules and regulations of the road, practice skills on the state-of-the-art simulator, get behind-the-wheel instruction with tractor trailers and passenger buses, and study to obtain the various CDL endorsements needed for the type of driving jobs the students want to acquire, including class В (passenger/school bus driving) and HazMat (for hauling chemicals and other hazardous materials). Former student Paul Poitra says that CCCC has helped him earn his CDL, which was required for his job, and he is now able to operate more and different equipment thanks to the program. Earning his CDL increased his salary and has opened more job possibilities. The CDL Program began in the fall of 2018 and has averaged 12 students, but due to national driver shortages, the program's popularity and enrollment are growing. The industry needs to replace the drivers who left due to slow times during the pandemic. Moreover, with major infrastructure jobs open throughout the country, HazMat haulers, road construction drivers, carrier drivers, and refrigerated goods drivers are needed to fill those positions. CCCC plans to build a new facility large enough to house its tractor trailer and bus inside the building along with classrooms and simulator space to accommodate more students per semester. This expansion will include a paved parking lot area for practice and testing all in one location.

CCCC also recently updated its facilities to accommodate a new, state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing (AM) program. Through a partnership with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, CCCC, along with four other TCUs, the program introduces an array of AM concepts and applications. These include 3D printer capabilities using different materials in different forms (e.g. powder, liquid, filament). These 3D printers can print almost any shape, with the resin or filament used being dictated by the end use. The material used determines the required strength, flexibility, color, etc. Through the AM initiative, CCCC is also collaborating with the University of North Dakota's Biomedical Engineering Program to design "smart tiny houses" as a student housing initiative and as a means to address the housing needs on the Spirit Lake reservation.

Although advanced manufacturing at CCCC is not a degree program, two courses-AM 101 and AM 201-are electives within the Pre-Engineering Program. These classes give students practical, hands-on training that enables them to become competent lab technicians who can start with a blank sheet, design parts on CAD drawing program files, and take them all the way through to the printed object (e.g., "art-to-part"). The AM laboratory where this learning takes place enables outreach to local high schools. Touring groups visit as CCCC students conduct demonstrations that showcase uses and possibilities for application to address local needs. CCCC is in the process of approving a one-year certificate for AM that will eventually be in conjunction with an industry partner for apprenticeships.

The work at all the tribal colleges demonstrates that our institutions are truly "steppingstones to the future," with CTE serving as a base program that contributes significantly to student success. For its part, CCCC has been experiencing record-breaking student enrollment. Fall enrollment has nearly doubled since 2019 and spring enrollment has increased 87% in that same period. A typical CCCC student is a 28-year-old single mother who works full time. The CTE programs at CCCC continue to be the top pick of students. Of the record 73 graduates in 2023, 37 were CTE students. CTE at CCCC has improved, expanded, and increased to reflect the needs of the community. Students now have better educational and training choices that coincide with today's environment and economy. Experiential learning opportunities through work study, internships, and apprenticeships provide tribal college students with new ways of learning. CCCC's CTE students are wellprepared for local positions, with their credentials making them more employable and enabling them to earn higher wages. CCCC's theme, "start here, go anywhere," comes to fruition through its CTE programs.

Melody Volk is the director of communications and of the Tribal College Apprenticeship Program at Cankdeska Cikana Community College.

Source URL: https://tribalcollegejournal.org/steppingstone-to-the-future-career-and-technical-education-at-cankdeska-cikana-community-college/

Copyright ©2024 Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education unless otherwise noted.