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Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program
ITEPP
The Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program has grown over five decades to support Native American Indian students in a wide array of academic disciplines within the four colleges: Arts, Humanities & Social Science, Natural Resources & Sciences, Professional Studies, and Extended Education and Global Engagement.
Established in 1969, ITEPP provides culturally responsive academic advising, co-curricular programming, educational planning, and academic support focused on Indigenous methods of learning and community accountability. In addition to these services, ITEPP recognizes and honors the unique political status of Native American communities. As sovereign nations with federally recognized governments, Native tribes maintain inherent rights and a government-to-government relationship with the United States. This political foundation not only reinforces tribal self-governance but also informs ITEPP’s commitment to empowering students to engage confidently in both academic and civic arenas. ITEPP provides Native students with a sense of belonging centered around cultural values, beliefs, and traditions that assist students in navigating higher education with confidence, namely, self-efficacy. Students receive valuable leadership skills, access to scholarships & internship opportunities, and connections to local tribes, agencies, and resources. To sum it up, participants discover a "home away from home" atmosphere at the ITEPP house, nurtured by a caring staff.
ITEPP Application
Program History
The original “Indian Teacher Education Project”, established in 1969, was a grassroots program developed by local tribal members and college faculty to provide a teacher preparation program for 18 American Indian students at Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt). In 1979 the program’s official name became the “Indian Teacher and Educational Personnel Program” (ITEPP) and began to serve Native American Indian students who were pursuing careers in counseling and social work in addition to teaching. In 2012, the name was renamed the Indian Tribal and Educational Personnel Program to reflect the inclusion of students from a broad array of majors. ITEPP remains a leader in preparing future Native American professionals.
ITEPP’s graduates are employed throughout the Nation serving tribes and communities in a multitude of capacities. Many have pursued graduate degrees and continue to utilize their leadership skills throughout “Indian Country.”
Our Purpose
ITEPP facilitates and promotes academic success and self-efficacy for primarily Native American Indian students attending Cal Poly Humboldt, by validating tribal cultural values, political status, and promoting the federal Indian policy of Indian Self-Determination. Our inclusive space is intended to serve, support, and affirm cultural identities while remaining open to all cultures. All students, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, who are interested in ITEPP are welcome.
