As our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, continues her visit to our affiliated sites in Arizona, we find out more about Shonto Preparatory School and how our Hope in Action Fund is helping children, often in dire circumstances, at the school.
Home of the Bears
“Shonto Preparatory School is located in the small community of Shonto. It’s about 64 miles southeast of Page, Arizona and about 51 miles northeast of Tuba City. Shonto Preparatory School consists of an elementary division with approximately 300 students in grades kindergarten through eighth and a secondary division with approximately 80 students in grades ninth through twelfth. There are a total of 64 children across both divisions in our sponsorship program,” said Renée.
“Marlita is also deeply appreciative of the many projects that have hugely benefited the children, thanks to our Hope In Action Program.”
“The high school division placed in the top 50% of all schools in Arizona for math and reading test scores during the 2018-2019 school year. Then came the pandemic, and scores fell. Nonetheless, the students do well here, and the school takes pride in providing an excellent educational experience. The graduation rate is over 80%.”
Visiting with Marlita
“Upon my arrival to the school last fall, I had a good meeting with our coordinator, Orleta, and the elementary principal, Marlita. Marlita is actually our former and very long-term coordinator. She was formerly the librarian. She is a huge believer in Children Incorporated. Her mother was a sponsor until her death. When Marlita was promoted to the elementary principal, she appointed Orleta as our new volunteer coordinator, and she too is seeing the incredible value of our program,” explained Renée.
“First, we discussed shopping for the sponsored children. Marlita and Orleta have found that ordering some things from Amazon works best because it saves time driving to stores. In those cases, the children and parents give their shopping lists to Orleta, who gives them to Marlita for placing the orders. For other things, they go to Walmart and buy gift cards. Then they have the parents and children meet them at the store. After the items are chosen, Marlita or Orleta hands a gift card to the cashier. So far, it’s working well, and everyone is happy with the arrangement.”
Hope in Action to the Rescue
Renée is pictured with one of our sponsored children in the school’s library.
“Marlita and I urged Orleta to let us know of any larger needs that may require consideration for Hope In Action Program aid. Marlita said she is so grateful for our sponsorship program. But she is also deeply appreciative of the many projects that have hugely benefited the children, thanks to our Hope In Action Program. The original school building was constructed in 1963 without central air conditioning. Marlita said it got bad in May, and it was often unbearable in August. Everyone felt so uncomfortable, and some children felt sick. Several years ago, when she was the coordinator, Marlita applied and was approved for a Hope In Action grant to purchase and install ceiling fans. She said these made a profound impact on the children’s comfort and ability to focus on their studies,” said Renée.
“Marlita also praised another Hope In Action Program grant in which she had requested audio books with accompanying paperback books. The children listened to the stories and followed along in the books, and this helped with their comprehension and vocabulary.”
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
As she continues with her first visits to our affiliated sites in Navajo Nation since the pandemic, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, tells us about her trip to Kayenta Community School, where she met with our former volunteer coordinator, Lora, and a special student who took the time to show her and our U.S. Programs Specialist, Kris, around the school.
“Kendrick had done a wonderful job in putting a smile on my face,” said Renée.
Visiting Kayenta
“Kayenta Community School is located in the town of Kayenta, which is about 43 miles northeast of Shonto, Arizona, and serves approximately 258 children in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. Its student population declined during the pandemic due to family migrations, but its count is now rising faster than other schools in the region. It was one of the first schools to return to in-person instruction after the pandemic, and parents appreciated that,” said Renée.
“Kayenta Community School is renowned for its athletic department. The children like all of the sports offerings – and all of the winning seasons. When we visited our other affiliated site in the area, Shonto Preparatory School, our volunteer coordinators said that the school bus for Kayenta drives right up to the Shonto school grounds, and children who live in the Shonto community climb on and are taken to Kayenta to participate in their well-known sports program.”
Our former volunteer coordinator, Lora, (left) poses for a photo with Kendrick and Kris.
“As I entered the front door, I was stopped by a woman named Lora who told me that she was the Children Incorporated coordinator before our current coordinator, Mae. I remembered working with Lora, and I greeted her warmly, happy to see a familiar face,” said Renée.
“Lora explained that, unfortunately, Mae was out for the day — there had been an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Kayenta dormitory where Mae worked, and as Lora was speaking with us, the dorm was in the process of closing in an effort to halt the spread of the infection. Parents, guardians, and relatives in distant areas were being instructed to come to the dorm and take their students home. Lora was not sure how long things would be closed.”
Meeting Kendrick
“Additionally, the school was in disruption due to renovations that had begun during summer break, but were still not finished. The desks for those in the main office (the principal, secretary, etc.) had been temporarily moved to the library. Nonetheless, Lora invited me to come inside to have a tour of the building and grounds. For my arrival, Lora and Mae had previously chosen a student to be our tour guide, and I was very excited to meet him,” said Renée.
“Kendrick was one of the most well-spoken children I’ve ever met. He was not fazed in the least at meeting and escorting two strangers around the school, and he was unintentionally hilarious because he took his job so seriously. At each area, he would calmly pause and say, “Yes, as you see…”
“After the tour, we thanked Kendrick for being such an excellent guide, and we said goodbye to Lora — although I didn’t have the opportunity to meet with the other students at the school, Kendrick had done a wonderful job in putting a smile on my face,” said Renée.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
Our Hope In Action Fund is designed to allow our volunteer coordinators to request funding for a variety of different reasons, from emergency food to field trips to construction projects. Today we hear from our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about how our volunteer coordinator, Linda, at Tonalea Day School in Arizona has been able to support children — and parents — at her school, thanks to the flexibility that this special fund offers.
Visting Tonalea
“Linda has also applied for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program, and she sang its praises.”
“Tonalea Day School is located in the very small community of Tonalea, about 24 miles north-northeast of Tuba City, Arizona. About 52% of the residents live below the poverty line, with most of the rest hovering at or barely above it,” said Renée.
“The school is the heart of the community. It serves about 137 students in grades kindergarten through eighth. Over the past five years, the number of teachers has declined by 23%; there are now just ten teachers. In 2019, the number of enrolled students was approaching 250. There was a big decline during the pandemic. Both the reading and math standardized test scores are at a low 15%-19% proficient, as compared to an Arizona state average of 45%. The free lunch rate is 100%.”
Getting to meet sponsored children
During her visit, Renée had the pleasure of meeting every one of our sponsored children at Tonalea Day School.
“Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by our long-term volunteer coordinator, Linda. She escorted me down a hallway into an unused classroom, and then she went to the teachers’ rooms and pulled every single Children Incorporated sponsored child out of class. That does not often happen, and I was touched and gratified by her efforts,” said Renée.
“The children were super excited because Linda had promised them a lunch as a part of our meeting. Sure enough, a staff member had driven all the way to Tuba City and came back with sandwiches, chips, and bottled water. You would have thought it was Christmas. The children got in line and picked up their food and little packets of mayo and mustard. Linda and I went around and helped the youngest with their packets and napkins. First, there was silence as we ate, and they stared at me. But then Linda invited me to stand and speak to them. I greeted the children and thanked them for cooperating with Linda on her requests for their thank-you letters, pictures, and progress reports. And I told them that the updates and their letters are important and so appreciated. There were some giggles and wiggles during this talk. Then Linda let them chat quietly amongst themselves while I went around to each child, took a picture for their sponsor, and asked a few questions about their likes and hobbies. They were so sweet.”
Thankful for our support
“After the children returned to their classrooms, Linda and I talked. She is so grateful for our sponsorship program and the positive impact it has on the children. Linda has also applied for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program, and she sang its praises. Linda said one of the most significant ways the fund has helped kids is by allowing her to purchase eyeglasses. She and the principal also started a Parent Engagement Initiative, and our organization helped with materials and supplies. This was deeply appreciated, and Linda feels the initiative succeeded in its goals and demonstrated increased parent involvement at the school,” said Renée.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
In late 2022, when our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was getting the chance to visit our affiliated sites again after two years, she found that many of them, especially in the Navajo Nation region of the country, were still adjusting since the pandemic. Although for Renée it meant restrictions on seeing children in the schools, it didn’t deter her from having much-anticipated meetings with our volunteer coordinators, and getting to see the schools in person after a few years of not traveling.
Today, we hear from Renée about her trip to Tuba Boarding School in Arizona, where she got a better idea of how administrators and students are adjusting to new rules and regulations regarding the handling of COVID-19.
Today, we hear from Renée about her trip to Tuba Boarding School in Arizona, where she got a better idea of how administrators and students are adjusting to new rules and regulations regarding the handling of COVID-19.
Hearing from Renée
“Tuba City Boarding School is named after the city in which it is located, which is a hub for business and connections across the reservation. As I approached the main office, I could see colorful Halloween decorations, which I’m sure the children enjoyed. A banner hung on the fence announced Red Ribbon Week. This is the largest drug and alcohol awareness and prevention program in the country, sponsored by the National Family Partnership. The children wear red ribbons and distribute them to family members, and also participate in activities ranging from essay and poster contests, to decorating school doors, to fun runs and more,” said Renée.
“After I signed in, the receptionist ushered me into a meeting room. I was shortly joined by our volunteer coordinator, Valli; her assistant, Elvira, and the principal, Mr. Coffland.”
Tuba Boarding School exterior view
“Tuba City Boarding School has a very old and established affiliation with Children Incorporated. The boarding school was established in 1898. It was moved twice before finding its permanent site in 1901. From its beginnings through the 1940s, the boarding school was operated by the U.S. Army. After that, it came under the direction of the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Some of the old buildings are still in use. There is a growing awareness of the abuses and injustices that many Native American children experienced in the BIA boarding school system, but this is not addressed on the school’s web site. The community may recognize that the boarding schools did harm in the past, but at present, they also serve a purpose that many parents need and value for their children’s education and welfare,” explained Renée.
Home of the Thunderbirds
“This is also one of the largest schools we serve in the United States. The enrollment is about 1,135 children in grades DK (developmental kindergarten for ‘young five year olds,’ with birthdays from June through December) through 8th grade. The DK offers structured learning opportunities, but at a slower pace that includes more play and rest times than regular kindergarten. The school’s demographics are 100% Native American from 100% low income families. The school is divided into ‘educational thirds’: Little Thunderbird Academy for pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade; Rising Thunderbird Academy for 3rd to 5th grades; and Thunderbird Academy for 6th through 8th graders.”
“At present, the majority of the children are day students. In part due to the pandemic and worries about spreading the virus in close proximity, the residential hall’s enrollment has declined to just 20 children. Mr. Coffland was able to use some of the federal pandemic grants to implement some badly needed improvements in the dorms, primarily to the HVAC and the bathrooms. There is also a new playground. And the athletic fields were improved with new sod and a sprinkler system. He feels these improvements will make the residential hall a more attractive option for parents who are deciding where to enroll their children who need a residential facility during the week as well as schooling,” said Renée.
Thanks to their sponsors, children at Tuba Boarding School are receiving much-needed support throughout the year.
“Our meeting opened with the principal stating the school’s pandemic policy included no visitors beyond the reception area. In their ongoing efforts to stop transmission of the virus, visitors could not have contact with students, nor could they go into the classrooms or dorms. Mr. Coffland explained he is being extremely cautious and is trying to keep the children in school and healthy, as well as protect their families.”
“During our meeting, Valli also shared that Elvira, who had formerly helped only with shopping trips, is now doing more. Mr. Coffland then said that Elvira will be a big help to Valli in the upcoming school year, and that the two of them should be able to begin enrolling more children. All three expressed their appreciation for our organization and all of our sponsors,” explained Renée.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
Last fall, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and our U.S. Sponsorship Specialist, Kristen Walthall, had the chance to return to Arizona for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic to visit our affiliated sites and meet with our volunteer coordinators. Today, as a part of our Stories of Hope series, we hear from Renée about the history of Navajo Nation and the effects of the pandemic on this already vulnerable population.
“The families are trying to hold on to their way of life while developing their capacity to earn their livelihoods and facing the challenges of poverty.”
About Navajo Nation
“The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous territory that includes portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and shares a border with Colorado. The community of Teec Nos Pos is close to the Four Corners National Monument and Navajo Tribal Park. It contains the quadripoint where those four states come together, the only place in the U.S. where that occurs. The Hopi Reservation is completely enclosed by the Navajo Reservation,” explains Renée.
“The largest towns and small cities within Navajo Nation (in order of size and population) are Tuba City, Arizona; Shiprock, New Mexico; Chinle, Arizona; Kayenta, Arizona; Fort Defiance, Arizona; Window Rock, Arizona (the capital); and its bordering community, St. Michaels, Arizona. Children Incorporated has affiliated sites in Tuba City, Kayenta, and St. Michaels, as well as in many of the smaller communities.”
“There are larger cities just outside the border of Navajo Nation, and these are important places for shopping for groceries and supplies; for medical care that falls beyond the scope of the Indian Health Service Clinics; and for job opportunities for those who choose to live outside the reservation. Two of these cities are in Arizona: Flagstaff to the south and Page to the north. Children Incorporated has affiliations in Page,” said Renée.
“However, many Navajo people choose not to live in either the larger cities or the towns. Instead, they prefer hozho naasha, which means ‘to walk in beauty,’ expressed by being in balance with and closely interconnected with the natural world, living in very small communities, and finding happiness and joy in daily life skills, ceremonies, and events. For traditional Navajos, such things might include living in a hogan (or having one nearby for ceremonial use), growing traditional crops (especially corn for its food and sacred pollen), herding sheep (for its meat and wool), and attending ceremonial events like a kinaalda (puberty ceremony), nidaa (enemy way), ye’ii bicheii (a healing ceremony), and more. It is considered important to understand hozho so that one can use it to guide choices and decisions throughout one’s life.”
Renée is pictured in one of the many amazing national parks in Arizona.
“Traditional Navajos believe that at birth one starts the Corn Pollen Path of Life. One aspires to reach 102 years of age, the culmination of a long, happy, and fruitful life, and to be in good condition and in balance with everything. Within the path of life, they wish to have and maintain beauty and balance within family, home, livelihood, kinship, community, Navajo Nation, and the world outside. Wherever one goes, one is to live by the teachings, to find good things out there, and to bring them home,” explains Renée.
Understand the people
“The Navajo tribe call themselves Diné, which literally means ‘The People.’ Traditional Navajo believe it is imperative to go back to the true essence of hozho and to instill it back into the lives of Diné children and youth. They believe that their youth feel a yearning for more knowledge of Navajo language and culture, which will help them to feel pride and to help them make moral decisions.”
“The reservation’s landscape is full of beauty and variety; it is ever changing. The families are trying to hold on to their way of life while developing their capacity to earn their livelihoods and facing the challenges of poverty. The pandemic has dealt a terrible blow to these efforts,” said Renée.
The detrimental effects of the pandemic
“Covid-19 was and still is contracted at disproportionate rates on Navajo Nation as compared to the rest of the country. This is due to the historic marginalization of its people. There has been long standing neglect by government entities when it comes to basic infrastructure to support Native populations. The conditions in which people are born, live, learn, and work are known as the social determinants of health. When those are inadequate, then there are negative effects on people’s physical and mental health. It has been documented extensively that low quality jobs, limited income, poverty, and low education are fundamentally connected to poor health outcomes.”
“Within Navajo Nation, 35.8% of households are below the federal poverty threshold, and most hover at or barely above it. (This is compared to 12% at the national level.) Federal funding for health care has been inadequate and has not kept pace with rising costs of prescription drugs, specialized healthcare, and competitive salaries to attract health professionals. Life expectancy is lower for Navajo Nation as compared to the rest of the country. There are higher rates of heart disease, substance abuse, diabetes, and obesity,” said Renée.
“With the return of not only students, but the entire administration, faculty, and staff, assessments can now be better made on the negative impacts of the pandemic on student population and enrollment.”
“These pre-existing conditions made people more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus, and to experiencing serious illness and death. Access to basic health services presents challenges for most of Navajo Nation, due to the remoteness of rural areas where families live. Lack of family transportation and/or cost of fuel are often factors that impede access to health care.”
“Navajo Nation enforced some of the most extreme social distancing measures in the country. It enacted 57-hour weekend lockdowns during the height of the pandemic and closed even essential businesses such as gas stations,” said Renée.
“When schools across the U.S. closed abruptly in March 2020 in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, there were immediate challenges for continuing the children’s education. Many districts across the country already had technology infrastructure, and students had school-issued electronic devices. That was not the case on Navajo Nation.”
“The remainder of the 2019-2020 school year was a scramble to make paper packets for the littlest students and to try and get electronic devices into the hands of the older students. This resulted in sibling groups walking for distances to find hills that might have a cellular signal; families driving to towns where they could go to parking lots and surf off merchants’ Wi-Fi signals; and even school buses becoming Wi-Fi hotspots where families would drive to predetermined places so they could take their children to the buses to upload their work and download their new assignments,” said Renée.
“Navajo Nation President, Jonathan Nez, said the reservation is a telecommunications desert, but it is a desert that is ready to bloom. There has been a big push to build and expand the network, but there’s a long way to go.”
“The 2020-2021 school year began as more of the same. Some Navajo Nation school districts were able to implement hybrid instruction with increased school-based health measures. In these, children were divided, with half going to the schools for in-person instruction for two days, then the other half going for two days, with one day reserved for deep-cleaning, parent conferences, and/or food preparation and distribution. But many remote districts were not able to implement hybrid instruction. Instead, they remained on fully-virtual instruction, which has many deficits for students. The children missed the face-to-face encounters with caring administration, faculty, and staff. They missed opportunities for in-person classroom discussions and hands-on learning in small groups. They missed athletics, clubs, and other activities. Furthermore, in many communities, schools are also the hub for needed supports such as school meals, counseling, and before-and-after-school childcare,” said Renée.
“Thankfully, the development of a vaccine and its trial in December 2020, followed by a rollout to the public over the spring of 2021, was a huge help. As the school year ended in May 2021, more families were getting the vaccine. Infection rates began to drop.”
New hope in a new school year
“The 2021-2022 school year saw the development of boosters and a big push to return to fully in-person instruction. All public health measures were followed, and Navajo Nation displayed an online Covid Dashboard to show the rise, drop, and autumn/winter surges of infection rates. Just like everywhere else, people developed ‘Covid fatigue.’ People found it increasingly difficult and depressing to stay at home for so long,” said Renée.
“The 2022-2023 school year is seeing a further return to normal. In most places, schools have fully reopened to in-person learning, and athletics, clubs, and activities have resumed. The Navajo Nation Fairs returned. However, on the reservation, caution is still the byword. Masking and social distancing are still observed. With the return of not only students, but the entire administration, faculty, and staff, assessments can now be better made on the negative impacts of the pandemic on student population and enrollment. The smaller and more rural schools have lost a large percentage of children, as their families migrated to other towns in search of work, health clinics, and schools that could offer more opportunities for their children. The viability of some of these schools is in question, and a few of these are affiliated with our organization.”
You can sponsor a child one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
I spent the last three days of my trip to the Philippines with our volunteer coordinators, WimWim and Ester, visiting our affiliated sites in Tacloban, all operated under the Volunteer for the Visayans organization, or VFV.
After visiting the Visayans Center at Bliss and the Santo Nino Center in previous days, it was time to visit our final site, the Cancumbang Center, located in the Cancumbang neighborhood about an hour outside of the city center.
Making the trek to Cancumbang
On my last day, I met WimWim and Ester at the VFV office early in the morning, the cargo truck that was taking supplies to the Cancumbung Center for distribution was already fully loaded. Cartons of eggs, large bags of rice, and boxes of canned goods and hygiene items were stacked high on the floor and benches, with enough room in the back for the three of us to sit comfortably. As WimWim, Ester and I loaded ourselves in, other VFV staff members hopped on small motorbikes to make the trek, heading out in front of us, knowing our vehicle would have to drive slowly to not disturb the dry goods.
I could only imagine what it was like for the families to have to endure potential flooding whenever it rained.
We made our way out of the city, and the drive was noticeably different than the route the day before to the Santo Nino Center — although located in a rural community, we still remained in what felt like city limits yesterday. Today, once we turned off the main road to head towards Cancumbang, rice fields surrounded the truck on both sides of the road, and houses were barely noticeable in the distance.
As she saw me ponder our surroundings, WimWim commented that for the sponsored children and their families here, the biggest issue they faced was transportation costs. Even to get to some of the schools, families needed to hire a motorbike, and those expenses cut into purchasing food and other basic necessities they required. But for these residents, living where the work was among the rice fields was their only option for employment, and relocating to the city to look for work was not a guarantee for a better or easier life.
Arriving to our destination
After some time, we stopped in front of a small store on a dirt road, and WimWim and Ester jumped out of the truck, gesturing for me to follow them. Between two houses that stood along the road was a small concrete walkway with a bamboo gate that was swung open. I walked down the path, and as soon as I got beyond the first row of houses, I could see the Cancumbang Center, standing on stilts, two stories above ground.
WimWim explained that this center was built to handle the flooding that occurred in the area on a regular basis, and like the Santo Nino Center, acts as an evacuation center in emergencies as well. The center was built in 2013 and had been completed only a few weeks before Typhoon Yolanda. Although the center sustained a lot of damage during the typhoon, it did not collapse, and VFV was able to repair it and reopen within a few months.
We walked up the stairs to reach the front doors of the center, and as I entered, there was already a lot of activity in the large gathering area. WimWim introduced me to John, the local staff member who lived in the neighborhood and took care of day-to-day operations at Cancumbang, like seeing that the children who wanted to use the computer lab and printer had access, and that the feeding program was running a few days a week. This made things much easier for WimWim, who otherwise only needed to make the drive out to the center a few times a month, so she could focus her efforts on operating the Visayans Center at Bliss. She told me another staff member also lives near the Santo Nino Center, and serves the same purpose of helping on a more daily basis.
At least these families, who were receiving support thanks to Children Incorporated sponsors, could rely on the Cancumbang Center and the VFV staff to help ensure they had what they needed.
Providing the care the community needs
The staff worked quickly to unpack the truck and to bring all the supplies up the stairs, unpacking boxes and unloading egg crates onto tables. Each group of items had their own place to make sure the children each got exactly the same items and everything was accounted for precisely, just like the distributions at the other two VFV centers.
Before long, the children had arrived with their parents and made their way into the center, where they sat in folding chairs facing the front of the room. Each child’s name was called, and without instruction, they filed in line to fill their reusable bags with rice, soap, canned meats, and toothpaste, among other items. I could only imagine what it was like for the families to have to endure potential flooding whenever it rained, which would sometimes keep them from leaving the neighborhood for days at a time. At least these families, who were receiving support thanks to Children Incorporated sponsors, could rely on the Cancumbang Center and the VFV staff to help ensure they had what they needed, which gave them less to worry about in a place where their livelihood, whether in a storm or not, was already fragile.
As all the other sites had, the Cancumbang Center impressed me a lot, and I felt that I was able to leave the Philippines feeling confident that Children Incorporated, and especially our sponsors, were making a huge and lasting difference for these families. And thanks to our amazing partners, just like the VFV, we can continue to offer sustainable support to kids well into the future.
You can sponsor a child in the Philippines in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in the Philippines that is available for sponsorship.
