NWICF Impact — Creating Access to Higher Education
Your support is more than just a financial contribution—it is a catalyst for real, positive change in the lives of students at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). Last year the Foundation provided over 350 scholarships to students at NWIC. We are excited to share the powerful ways your contributions transform lives and make a measurable difference.
Since time immemorial, our ancestors, leaders and communities have understood our responsibility as stewards of our lands. Earning a degree from the Native Environmental Science program at Northwest Indian College can transform our communities by empowering students with essential skills in:
- Indigenous ecological knowledge and stewardship
- natural resource management
- research skills and environmental monitoring
- community-based environmental solutions
Northwest Indian College’s Native Environmental Science program provides a learning environment where students learn to navigate the complexities of the modern world while preserving Indigenous knowledge systems that, by nature, safeguard the natural world. This degree emphasizes Indigenous worldviews regarding the environment, ultimately empowering Native communities by developing a new generation of leaders who can protect and restore while fostering cultural revitalization and self-determination.
Thanks to the generosity of the many donors who donate to NWICF, we can provide critical financial support to students pursuing the Native Environmental Science degree. Scholarships help ease the financial burdens that often accompany higher education, allowing students to focus on their studies.
Hy’shqe (thank you) to our donors and supporters!
“My goal is to use a degree in Native Environmental Science to help my people achieve food sovereignty and contribute to the preservation of our traditions. If our Native food systems disappear, we risk losing our identity as a people. Our genetic makeup and way of life are deeply tied to the traditional foods we eat. I want to help restore the deeper meaning behind our way of life and ensure that our traditions continue. My vision is to help our community move away from reliance on commodities and instead create systems that supply food for our schools, grocery stores, elderly programs, and families in need. I want future generations to experience and live in harmony with nature’s beauty. By integrating Native science with Western science, we can create a more sustainable future. We’re working toward this by putting it into our education system, making this knowledge accessible to all so that both the earth and its people can thrive once again.”
Joey Billyboy
Ojibwe, from the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe in Wisconsin
Native Environmental Science
