COSA receives first installment of $ 600,000 grant from the Bush Foundation

The Commission for Oceti Sakowin Accreditation (COSA), formed in the Fall of 2016, has received the first installment of a 4 year commitment from the Bush Foundation.  The Bush Foundation “…invests in great ideas and the people who power them In Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the geography. We work to inspire and support creative problem solving – within and across sectors – to make our region better for everyone.”   

In a letter submitted from the Bush Foundation to COSA, it is stated that the grant is awarded “To accelerate the adoption of Native Education accreditation in tribal schools to provide more culturally relevant and individualized education in North and South Dakota.”

The Commission for Oceti Sakowin Accreditation is comprised of Tribal Education Directors or designees from the 9 reservations in South Dakota plus one from North Dakota.  The Commission was an outgrowth from the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association concerns that the Bureau of Indian Education did not meet various needs of tribal schools.

  The grant will provide financial resources to help develop the infrastructure and eventual expansion of the tribal accreditation protocols.  COSA believes that tribal governing bodies can work together to create their own student successes on their own.  COSA also believes that local school and student success must be culturally relevant based on local quality academic and performance standards.

COSA accreditation is available to any school including public, BIE operated, tribally controlled, and private schools.  The potential schools for COSA accreditation could exceed 50 schools who want to focus on culturally relevant student engaged education. 

The grant will be provided through December 2022.  See notification letter HERE.