Diné Institute recognizes that it must provide basic services to allow all members of our community to function adequately in their respective roles. Within this context, we intend to apply ourselves and our resources to the various fields and disciplines within our Diné and indigenous communities.

Instead of relying upon non-Diné and non-indigenous forms of education, government, health, etc., we aspire to utilize our traditional Diné concepts, teachings, and methodologies, and apply them to these various fields of disciplines. Whether the fields are educational, governmental, social services, health-related, legal, judicial, or administrative, we aim to ensure that our partners and clientele are equipped with the traditional and cultural tools to resolve, progress, and advance their fields of discipline.

Our services extend to avenues as:

• Workshops
• Seminars
• In-Service Trainings
• Cultural Events
• Navajo Language & Classes
• Native & Traditional Counseling
• Research in Education
• Investigations for under-developed schools

Much of our service specialization is education based. What we pursue is to restructure and refine the overall educational, instructional, and organizational programs to meet the needs our Dine and indigenous students, and to change how schools define and perceive these students. In addition to our restructuring endeavors, we also provide technical assistance and professional development to state departments of education, school districts, and local educational agencies.

Our educational services revolve around school improvement, curriculum mapping, and technical assistance.

School Improvement

School improvement evaluates current instructional and organization programs within individual school organizations and recommends methods in achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping evaluates current programs within schools and gives recommendations to develop, restructure, realign, and articulate curriculums to mandated state and federal regulations, based on the No Child Left Behind Act. The Cornstalk Philosophy is also utilized to target student needs in their mental, emotional, social, and physical development areas.

Technical Assistance

The Institute staff are available for long term school-wide evaluation of instructional and organizational effectiveness of individual schools, whether they be public, private or BIE.  Our staff has expertise in implementing a schoolwide model in making determinations of school limitations and strengths, thus making recommendations for realistic Action Plans that can be reviewed on a consistent basis throughout the school year.  Our staff uses the following steps in providing this technical assistance:

• Developing the Profile: outlines a process analyzing information in a variety of critical areas that leads to a comprehensive profile of students and communities served by the school.
• Defining Beliefs and Mission: assists schools in articulating their beliefs and mission to help guide a shared vision for a common purpose and direction for the school.
• Defining Desired Results for Student Learning: guides in the identification of goals and expectations for student learning aligned with the school’s beliefs and mission.
• Analyzing Instructional and Organizational effectiveness: helps schools analyze the effectiveness/quality of their instructional and organizational practices & determine alignment of these conditions with the schools’ beliefs, mission and goals for student learning.
• Developing the Profile: provides a process for determining the target area goals for school improvement, the design of data-driven and research-based school improvement initiatives to achieve the goals, estimate the timelines and resources required for implementing the strategies, Implementing the Plan
• Documenting Results: helps schools monitor the implementation of the school improvement plan, collect evidence of the achievement of the target goals for improvement and sustain the commitment to continuous improvement.

Other Areas of Technical assistance, all based on the traditional Navajo Philosophy:

• Education of leaders int eh areas of business and government and leadership, using the Dine Philsophy
• Effective administration of Head start programs and staff development
• Early Childhood Education
• Culture – Based Curriculum Development
• Eduction of Gifted and Talented native people
• Mental Health issues
• Substance Abuse, Prevention, including alcohol, inhalants, and other drugs