The California Indian Nations College (CINC) launched its Pathbreaker Program with the help from a $1.235 million grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The program will pave the way in improving the curriculum of California tribal education, as well support students in their academic careers.
The Pathbreaker Program will prepare students academically, culturally, and socially for successful transfer into higher education and professional opportunities following their enrollment with CINC.
Beyond summer programs, the Pathbreaker Program will offer workshops throughout the school year to develop professional skills and strengthen tribal student retention. Over the next three years, CINC aims to increase the overall enrollment and student success, and to secure additional funding for continued support in actively engaged student support efforts.
“San Manuel believes a well-rounded education provides Native students the necessary grounding to meet the challenges of today’s world,” said San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena. “Too often, our students find mainstream educational paths overly restrictive, often drawing them away from their tribal communities and not accounting for the realities that define who they are as Native people. Our goal in supporting the Pathbreaker Program is two-fold: to keep these students connected to their identities while enabling them to set a path through higher education that will bring them success.”
CINC offers culturally inclusive and responsive curriculum to the surrounding communities of the Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire, as well as trailblazing higher education opportunities across California Indian Country.
