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CROWNPOINT, NM – The COVID-19 outbreak reached the Navajo Nation in March forcing classes at Navajo Technical University to switch to an emergency distance education model. Four months later, the virus is now disrupting summer programs as NTU’s annual Leadership, Enrichment, Advancement Program (L.E.A.P.) and Summer STEM and Skills program have switched to online.
Each program has been in operation for the last several years and target high school students and recent graduates. The Summer STEM and Skills program began in 2018 and introduces dual credit students to the fields of construction, welding, culinary arts, baking, automotive technology, pre engineering, and business. Previous years emphasized experiential education within a four week learning period; however, this year’s delivery will switch entirely online and will be offered in six weeks from June 15 to July 24. High school students are able to earn up to 9 credit hours if they complete the program.
L.E.A.P. will be entering its second year of operation and is designed for recent high school graduates. The program will operate from June 15 to July 17 and will function as a summer bridge program that eases students into college coursework and prepares them for the rigor of higher education. Students are able to earn up to 8 credit hours in the program, which will cover Reading and Writing Skills, Intermediate Algebra, and College Success Skills.
“This is our first virtual L.E.A.P.,” explained First Year Experience Advisor Sherietta Martinez Brown, noting that 12 of the program’s first 13 participants successfully completed their first year at NTU. “We are hoping that we are able to prepare students for the upcoming fall semester as much as possible with a limited time.”
Both the Summer STEM and Skills program and L.E.A.P. are free to students with tuition, books, and fees covered by NTU. Students are required to have access to Internet and a computer for each program. Students that participate in L.E.A.P. will be provided a computing device. Registration for each program is currently open. Orientation for L.E.A.P. is June 12 from 8 a.m. to noon.
For more information about L.E.A.P., contact Sherietta Martinez Brown at smartinez@navajotech.edu. For more information about the 2020 Summer STEM and SKILLS program, contact Freda Joe at fjoe@navajotech.edu.