Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

5/22/06

NEWS RELEASE
Auburn School District Honors
Muckleshoot Tribe with Community Recognition Award

On May 19, the Muckleshoot Tribe was honored by Auburn School District at the WASA community recognition awards luncheon. Virginia Cross, a Muckleshoot Tribal Council member, accepted the award on behalf of the Muckleshoot Tribe. She was accompanied by Superintendent Linda Cowan and Assistant Director of Native American Programs Denise Bill. The award is presented to a community member or group in recognition of contributions to education.

The Muckleshoot Tribe fervently supports life-long learning in the Auburn School District and believes that as more Native people further their education, the more they will contribute to the community at-large. For instance, the Muckleshoot Tribe offers full college scholarships to all tribal members who desire to continue their education. Scholarships are available for all universities and for all degree programs.

The Muckleshoot Tribe also provides resources to educate the local Native American youth. Annually, the Muckleshoot Tribe contributes $400,000 to the Native American Achievement Center’s educational programs offered at three district schools—Chinook Elementary School, Olympic Middle School and Auburn Senior High School—and the Virginia Cross Native Education Center, an Auburn School District high school program located on the reservation.

Students receive individualized instruction from the Center’s programs, including tutoring, mentoring and counseling. Teachers provide students with guidance and problem-solving skills to navigate the school system successfully. In addition, every July the Muckleshoot Tribe supports the summer academy reading and literacy program for Native American students in grades K-12.

The Muckleshoot Tribe supports additional district programs and activities, such as school PTAs and sports teams, through the Muckleshoot Charity Fund. Other tribal programs benefit the greater Auburn community and include a reservation-based health and wellness center, state-of-the-art child care center and housing program.

For more information, contact Superintendent Linda Cowan at (253) 931-4914.