
Fond du Lac Tribal College - Ojibwemotaadidaa Omaa Gidakiiminaang (OOG)
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has a unique mission of providing education to the public through a close partnership between a Tribal Nation and the State of Minnesota. This unique collaboration offers all students, regardless of demographic background, the opportunity to learn in a comfortable and diverse environment.
The Fond du Lac Tribal College’s language immersion program is partnering with Child Care Aware and Fond du Lac Social Services to establish “Grandma’s House.” This service as a language nest where young children, with the help of their parents, elders and language staff, will grow up immersed in Ojibwe language and culture in a rich, home-like environment to convey a sense of identity, responsibility and spiritual relationship to all creation.
Prototypes
Local community organization grantees work with families to create innovative program designs called “prototypes”, which address racial disparities in human services and outcomes facing the families in their community.
Establishing the first Ojibwe language and culture immersion program in Minnesota for young children
The program is focused on the Ojibwe community in the east-central and northeastern parts of Minnesota. It provides a home-like environment for infants and toddlers with their Ojibwe-speaking parents and elder first speakers who are experienced in teaching and childcare. The setting is modeled after “Grandma’s House,” where children are safe and comfortable, participate in daily activities with adults, learn the language, hear the stories, sing, dance and make art in their cultural tradition. This program will help young Ojibwe children form clearer self-identities and stand resilient against the barriers they face growing up.
Photo Gallery
News and resources
This Anishinaabe child care program puts Ojibwe language first | Star Tribune
A northeastern Minnesota immersion center gathers generations to preserve and revitalize the ancestral language.
Few speak Ojibwe as a first language. This 'nest' is teaching kids to in Cloquet | Minnesota Public Radio News
Parents and children learn to speak the endangered language of Ojibwe at Grandma’s House in Cloquet, Minnesota.