3 Takeaways:

• The Circle of Nations Pathway Program originally was a four-week summer program and has now expanded to a yearlong class. 
• Circle of Nations will officially launch in the 2025-2026 school year at Tempe’s Mountain Pointe school.
• The pathway program will expand to additional schools soon, including Marcos De Niza in Tempe. 

There is a new student pathway program coming soon to the Tempe Union High School District.

The Circle of Nations Pathway Program will officially launch in the 2025-2026 school year at Mountain Pointe. More schools, including Marcos De Niza, will offer the program soon. 

The Circle of Nations program will support and provide resources to students as they decide on attending college, enrolling in the military or joining the workforce after high school graduation. 

Initially, the program was a four-week summer program offered to students to catch up on their school curriculum credits to graduate from high school. Now, the program will expand to a yearlong class with eight teachers helping assist students with their core classes, such as math, science, social studies and English. 

“This [program] started years ago with Valerie Molina,” shared Director of Federal Programs Charlotte Windsor. Molina is the Native American Program lead for Circle of Nations and is from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

“She’s been running the program for 10 years, which has always been fully funded by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. It’s been open to all Native high school students to either recover credits or receive advanced credits to graduate and pursue their postsecondary goals,” Windsor shared. 

The Circle of Nations team, which also includes Chief of Staff and Strategic Partnerships Megan Sterling, has also been conducting research on how to build a team of faculty members who are able to connect with students. 

“I look for staff that students recommend,” said Windsor. “Every staff [member] that has been hired for our program has come from a student recommendation.” Furthermore, there is a physical education teacher on staff as well as paraprofessional staff member help students with special needs. 

“It started off as a small program and now has just grown,” shared Molina. 

The program expansion comes after recent statistics last year showed that Indigenous students have the lowest high school graduation rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. For Indigenous students, in 2025, only 69% of students graduated, compared to the national average of 81%.  

Windsor added, “A teacher is in the classroom with our students, in case they get stuck on a question or need assistance. They’re free to watch videos and hang out with us as well. We found some students still want to come into our class even if they are all caught up on their classwork. We also provide them with a meal.”

Furthermore, the program helps enroll high school students in either South Mountain Community College or Tohono O’odham Community College after graduation. Tohono O’odham Community College offers free tuition for all Indigenous students. 

This past summer, 265 students participated in the four-week program and recovered 516 half-credits. “Thirteen of those kids were not on track to graduate, and they graduated within those four weeks,” said Windsor. 

“Next year, we will be expanding to Marcos De Niza,” said Molina. “This is to make the location a bit closer for Salt River students.” 

“This program is for all tribal students, as well as anyone who is a descendant, so you don’t have to be an enrolled member of a tribe to participate,” shared Molina. 

In the Coming Months

Tempe Union High School guidance counselors have already been searching for students who could benefit from enrolling in the Circle of Nations Pathway Program. “They’re making a list of students they would like to recommend for our program,” said Windsor. “We take those students and enroll them into the program.”

Windsor noted that since last October, students have been asking her about the program’s upcoming sessions. She added, “They want to be one of the first 300 students to participate in this program.” 

The Circle of Nations team is also currently planning field trips for the participating students. Windsor said that one of the field trips will be a trip to the Heard Museum in Phoenix. 

There will also be space for tribal community members to come in and speak with the students. 

“Having tribal elders come in to speak with them and show them different skills to give them different opportunities that they don’t get from a traditional school, that is a cornerstone of this project,” shared Windsor. 

Earlier this year, the Circle of Nations team met with staff from Salt River Schools to get further insight as to how the program can help Community students. 

“We’re going to walk the walk and not just talk about it,” said Molina. “I know there’s a lot of distrust in educational institutions, but we’ve taken the time to create this program and not just throw it together quickly. We’re honoring and respecting each community that comes in.” 

Molina added, “We’re willing to go to the students. We’re willing to shuttle the students; we’re willing to be at community events in Salt River. We want to be able to help the students with whatever they need. We want to do what’s best.”

Windsor said that the Circle of Nations Pathway Program will be hosting cultural competency classes for all staff, from teachers to security guards as well as the cafeteria staff. “We’re getting the knowledge out there that we as staff need to act differently. Quietness is not a sign of apathy, but a cultural norm. We need to learn that the dominant culture views Native American culture in a way that is often misinterpreted. We need to be aware of that and be literate, so we can serve the students the way they should be.”

The Circle of Nations team will be hosting an O’odham and Piipaash Day at Mountain Pointe High School on Feb. 27 for families, students and Community members. The event is a collaboration between Salt River Schools, the Education Native Language Culture Department at Salt River Schools and the Gila River Indian Community. Dinner will be provided by Ernie’s Catering.  

O’odham Action News will continue to monitor this story.