fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC), located in Winnebago, Nebraska, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Equity for Excellence (EES) for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The grant will help the college to improve cybersecurity and create STEM opportunities for its students. It will further help LPTC to meet compliance standards.

LPTC PresidentManoj Patil says that this is a major win for the college and the funding is a much-needed step toward resourcing tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). 

“Little Priest Tribal College offers the same quality education that you’ll find at major universities, but TCUs do not have access to many of the same higher funding resources,” says Patil. “We are grateful to NSF for recognizing the need to invest in TCUs because these are the types of opportunities that can help us continue to support our own STEM experts within Indian Country.”

The NSF funding is also helping LPTC achieve benchmarks in ways that increase the safety and wellbeing of its students, families, and stakeholders. 

“We live in a world where we rely heavily on secure, reliable technology but creating these systems comes at a high cost,” says Morri Conway, LPTC Director of Information Technology. 

“Practically speaking, the grant funding will help the college get closer to its strategic goals of staffing, protecting the institutional network and data, providing a safe learning environment for students, and meeting federal and state compliance measures.”

Little Priest Tribal College will move forward with its planned cybersecurity infrastructure project and expects to be complete by May 31, 2024. To learn more about the Little Priest Tribal College, please visit, https://www.littlepriest.edu/about-lptc/

More Stories Like This

Native Forward Scholars Fund Announces 2025 Students of the Year at Empowering Scholars Summit
Navajo Nation Speaker Curley and Council Delegate Dr. Nez Join Education Leaders to Address Federal Budget Cuts
Mackie Moore (Cherokee) Named Interim President of Haskell Indian Nations University
Mohawk Students File Legal Suit Over Changes Impacting Access to Federal Financial Aid
Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to Tribal College Funding, Threatening Their Survival

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].