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Safeguarding Natural Heritage 2023: 

Strengthening American Agriculture 

by Investing in Youth
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Explore Exciting Careers in Agriculture

Are you a middle or high school1 student looking for a unique 

summer enrichment program with an opportunity to live and study 

on a college campus and improve your résumé for college?

Are you a teacher or parent looking for ways to expand your 

students’ view of agriculture and natural resources?

Look no further! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers 

you an opportunity of a lifetime.

Safeguarding Natural Heritage (SNH) is a free summer outreach 

program to help students explore careers in agricultural sciences within and 

outside the environs of a Tribal community. 

As an SNH student, you’ll live on a college campus for 2 weeks and learn 

from university professors and USDA experts—plant and animal scientists, 

biotechnologists, veterinarians, wildlife biologists, administrative professionals, 

and others. You’ll gain hands-on experience through labs, workshops, and field 

trips; participate in character- and team-building activities; and join in many 

other fun and educational events. The program also introduces you to sustainable 

agriculture and farming, with a view toward preserving your natural heritage and 

increasing awareness of the harm invasive species can do. It’s a great chance to 

explore the many exciting career paths in agriculture—not only within your own 

Tribal community, but also at USDA. 

In 2023, six schools are participating in SNH. Each school’s program focuses 

on a specific area of interest to its Nation’s agriculture, such as plant health, 

entomology, biotechnology, veterinary science, animal care, and agribusiness. 

Read on to learn more about this year’s program, including dates, locations, and 

how to apply.

1 SNH is designed for students ages 14 to 17. Some schools may allow high-achieving, independent 7th or 8th grade 

students as well. Contact the host school directly to ask about participation requirements. 

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Diné College

June 4–16, 2023

SNH application deadline: May 25, 2023

Diné College, a designated 1994 land-grant institution, was 

established in 1968 as the first tribally controlled community college in the United 

States. Based in Tsaile, AZ, Diné College is located 70 miles north of Window 

Rock, AZ, in the heart of the 27,000-square-mile Navajo Nation, and serves the 

Nation’s residents in New Mexico and Utah as well as Arizona. As a post-secondary 

land-grant institution rooted in Navajo language and culture, the college 

awards degrees and certificates in areas important to the economic and social 

development of the Navajo Nation. 

For more information or an application, contact:

Benita Litson

Director

Diné College Land Grant Office

P.O. Box C01 

Tsaile, AZ 86556

(928) 724-6940

blitson@dinecollege.edu

www.dinecollege.edu

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Navajo Technical University

June 5–16, 2023 

SNH application deadline: April 28, 2023

Initially established in 1979 as the Navajo Skill Center in 

Crownpoint, NM, Navajo Technical University (NTU) is the Navajo 

Nation’s first university. A highly respected land-grant institution, NTU offers 

technical, vocational, and academic degrees, as well as community education, in 

a student-oriented, hands-on learning environment with state-of-the-art classroom 

equipment. A highlight of the university’s curriculum is NTU’s Veterinary Technology 

program, which offers hands-on clinical and field experience as well as formal classroom 

instruction for students pursuing careers in animal health and other fields. NTU is the 

first Tribal college to develop a baccalaureate of science degree in Animal Science, 

providing students with many career options and the opportunity to apply to 

professional schools such as veterinary medicine. 

For more information or an application, contact:

Sharie Begay 

Office Manager

slbegay@navajotech.edu

Germaine Daye, D.V.M.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Land Grant Program Director

landgrant@navajotech.edu

Navajo Technical University 

New Mexico State Highway 371 & NN9, P.O. Box 849

Crownpoint, NM 87313

(505) 786-4150 | www.navajotech.edu

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University of North Carolina at Pembroke

July 10–21, 2023 

SNH application deadline: May 31, 2023

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP)—designated 

as “North Carolina’s historically American Indian University” by the 

North Carolina Assembly and home to the Southeast American Indian Studies 

Program—is an ideal setting for SNH. Founded in 1887 to train teachers from the 

Lumbee Tribe, UNC Pembroke confers more undergraduate degrees on American 

Indians than any institution east of the Mississippi River. Between 1887 and 1952, 

the institution’s student body was all Indian. From 1939 to 1953, the institution 

was the only State-supported, 4-year college for American Indians in the United 

States. Today, approximately 13.2 percent of the student body is American Indian, 

representing Native communities throughout North Carolina and beyond.

For more information or an application, contact:

Mary Beth Locklear

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

P.O. Box 1510

Pembroke, NC 28372

(910) 775-4020

mary.locklear@uncp.edu

www.uncp.edu

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College of Menominee Nation

July 10–21, 2023 

SNH application deadline: June 30, 2023

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) began offering classes in January 1993 

with 42 students enrolled in general education courses. As an institution of higher 

education chartered by the Menominee people, this land-grant college infuses 

education with American Indian culture, preparing students for a multicultural 

world. CMN’s Department of Continuing Education is committed to providing 

training and educational opportunities using the circle of life model, which equips 

and empowers the community—from youth to elders—to take ownership and 

responsibility to improve their lives. 

For more information or an application, contact:

Matilda Peters 

Youth Program Extension Coordinator 

College of Menominee Nation, Keshena Campus

N172 Highway 47/55

P.O. Box 1179

Keshena, WI 54135

(715) 799-5600, ext. 3251

mpeters@menominee.edu

www.menominee.edu

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Fond du Lac Tribal and 

Community College 

June 12–23, 2023

SNH application deadline: June 2, 2023

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has a mission of providing education 

to the public through a union of cultures. A unique partnership between Fond 

du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Minnesota State Colleges and 

Universities offers all students the opportunity to learn in a comfortable and 

diverse environment. Founded in 1987, the College offers 2-year associate 

degrees and certificates across a wide range of program areas, including: law 

enforcement, human services, nursing, business, electric utility technology, clean 

energy, American Indian studies, child development, geospatial technologies, and 

environmental science. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is accredited by 

the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium as well as the Higher 

Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. 

For more information or an application, contact:

Ronald Willis 

Youth Education Outreach Coordinator 

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College 

2101 14th Street 

Cloquet, MN 55720

(218) 879-0862

ronald.willis@fdltcc.edu

https://fdltcc.edu

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Salish Kootenai College

June 20–30, 2023

SNH application deadline: June 9, 2023 

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is a Tribal College founded in 1976, whose mission is 

to provide quality post-secondary educational opportunities for Native Americans, 

locally and throughout the United States. SKC seeks to promote community 

and individual development and perpetuate the cultures of the Confederated 

Tribes of the Flathead Nation. The college offers an associate degree program in 

natural resources; bachelor’s degree programs in forestry, fire science, hydrology, 

and wildlife; and as of fall 2021, a master’s degree program in natural resources 

management. The Natural Resources Department supports individual and 

community empowerment through meaningful partnerships that take many 

forms, including enhancing student-community research internship capacity. SKC 

also offers undergraduate degrees in a number of other fields, including: nursing, 

education, psychology, business, information technology, Native American studies, 

Tribal Governance and Administration, and Tribal Historic Preservation.

For more information or an application, contact:

Virgil Dupuis

Salish Kootenai College Extension

Department Director 

Salish Kootenai College 

58138 Highway 93, Pablo, MT 59855

(406) 275-4800, ext. 4899

virgil_dupuis@skc.edu

www.skc.edu
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SNH 2023: General Information

How To Apply

Although SNH is focused on students between the ages of 14 and 17, students 

slightly younger or older may also be eligible to apply, depending on the school. 

Most schools require the following materials: 

s Complete application (including emergency contact and related information)

s Short essay (your general interests, hobbies, future plans, and specific 

interest in the program)

s Letters of recommendation

s High school transcript

s Brief biography (no more than 250 words)

For guidance on specific requirements, contact the school of your choice directly.

Costs

The SNH program is free. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) covers the cost of tuition, room and board, and laboratory supplies. You 

are only responsible for the cost of traveling to the university campus on opening 

day and returning home at the conclusion of the program. 

For More Information

If you have questions about the SNH program, contact:

Terry W. Clark, D.V.M.

Director, Office of the National Tribal Liaison 

(301) 440-4388

terry.w.clark@usda.gov

Carl Etsitty

Assistant Director, Office of the National Tribal Liaison

(970) 494-7573

carl.etsitty@usda.gov
Learn more about APHIS and all of our student opportunities: 

aphis.usda.gov/tribal-relations

aphis.usda.gov/careers
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

APHIS-22-046 | Issued September 2022