Mesa Community College Hoop of Learning program seeks to aid indigenous students
The Hoop of Learning program at Mesa Community College connects indigenous high school students with the college and offers the opportunity to take college classes while still enrolled in high school in order to help students work towards their degrees.
The four main goals of the program are to increase indigenous students’ graduation rates, student enrollment, and to help create career goals while removing cultural barriers.
“It’s really about helping Native (American) students feels like they belong, it’s about centering the native voice, to also give them this feeling that they belong, but also a sense of how amazing they are as indigenous students,” said Mona Scott Figueroa, program director for the ethnic studies program at MCC and teaches one of the first courses which students will take once accepted into the program.
The program offers students a pathway towards a degree and also allows them to earn an Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies.
“The Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies program explores the unique experiences of the American Indian people living in the Southwest and provides students the opportunity to study the cultures, values, histories, and contemporary lives of the indigenous people of North America,” states the program information page on the MCC website.
According to Figueroa, involved with the program for nearly 12 years, she also assists in planning field trips and other activities for the students to participate in to enhance their relationship with the community.
Hoop of Learning is seeking additional funding from the Early College Programs department in order to help pay for additional field trips, food and work supplies, and other costs to help support students, according to Figueroa.
“From practice, it’s not always practical to have a cooler with snacks. It’s me hauling these big coolers. It’s easier to give the students some cash and we can grab a snack and they can have lunch and come back,” said Figueroa.
The Hoop of Learning program was formerly operating under the American Indian Center at MCC, but was transferred to Early College Programs. The American Indian Center then renamed to the American Indian Institute shortly after, according to Figueroa.
According to Figueroa, her class includes education that is holistic in nature, seeking to more closely mirror education techniques traditionally found in some Native communities.
“When we educate, we’re educating the whole student. When we think about education, it’s everything. It’s teaching how to cook for yourself, it’s teaching you how to respect your elders, it’s teaching you how to respect yourself,” said Figueroa. Students looking to apply can find more information on the MCC program page.
