During lunch on November 30, students at Wood Middle School (WMS) gathered for a student-centered celebration of Native American Heritage month.

Students were given reading materials about the Indigenous peoples and cultures of the Americas. They were also asked to write a fact they knew about the Native American Culture(s) and a positive image or word about Native Americans. Students wrote their answers on a banner.
Shanti Croom, the Alameda Unified School District Office of Equity’s Educational Equity and Family Engagement Coordinator, organized the event. Throughout November, Croom provided the WMS student leadership team with facts about indigenous tribes and cultures to read over the PA system.

Before the leadership team was given the material, Croom reached out to Orion Tenhorses, an eighth-grade Arapaho and Comanche student at WMS, to review the information she gathered. On the day of the event, Tenhorses helped facilitate the event and handed out snacks to those who participated.

“The ultimate goal is to continue to recognize heritage months, but most importantly, develop an educational culture that continuously incorporates diversity through celebrations and curriculum all year long,” Croom said.