Case Study: Mille Lacs Region, Minnesota

The Mille Lacs region equity planning process began 2013 and continued with trainings and gatherings through to 2018. An Onamia resident serving as an education administrator and Ojibwe community leader reached out to MnEEP seeking research and advocacy support to center more equity and access thought leadership with three local school districts: Onamia, Isle, and Nay Ah Shing tribal school.

The collaboration resulted in vital community conversations; the completion of an Equity Action Plan A Promise to Act; board dialogues and professional development; educator/student retreat opportunities; and a community-wide Equity Summit.

This was the first time the three districts collaborated to unpack important education equity issues and topics and grow in learning and centering an equity lens in policy and practice.

Topics the school board members discussed with MnEEP staff and consultants included: The history of American Indians and U.S. public schools; addressing discipline disparities in education; the use of an equity lens in policy decisions; and the use of an equity scorecard.

A local Equity Champion assisted the equity leadership team to provide in-depth educator/student equity in education retreats and implement a community-wide Equity Summit for greater community, educator, and student dialogues on the importance of racial equity and tribal understandings in the schools and overall community.

Read full report here: mneep-mille-lacs-promise-to-act-plan