Areas
of Need Introduction | Capital
Needs | Annual
Needs | Endowment
Needs
CAPITAL NEEDS
The Achein Center, IAIA’S Lifelong learning Center: Goal $22 million
IAIA received an outstanding award of $2 million from the W. K. Kellogg
Foundation to establish the first American Indian Lifelong Learning Center
(LLC) that will be used for program and construction development along
with other planning activities for the new center—the Achein
Center.
Achein (ä-chín) is a word in Keres, the language
of seven of New Mexico’s Indian Pueblos. It signifies a place where
knowledge is shared—in a spiritual context—and reflects millennia
of traditional learning in indigenous communities. While the concept of
Achein represents the Pueblo communities that surround Santa Fe,
the plans for the LLC have the support of diverse tribes throughout the
United States and Canada. The Center was initially conceptualized by Native
American arts, cultural and educational leaders. The concept stems from
IAIA’s 40-year record of outreach and engagement with Native communities,
which has allowed IAIA to provide arts and culturally-based educational
programming to over 90 percent of all 562 federally recognized tribes.
IAIA’s engagement with tribal communities has resulted in its graduates
taking leadership roles in many areas where creative thinking enhances
the quality of life.
The LLC will have a two-fold mission: First, it will serve as a unique
learning environment to meet the lifelong educational needs of indigenous
peoples, tribes, organizations and communities; second, it will serve
as a conduit of knowledge on historical and contemporary American Indian
artistic expression, knowledge and perception in the humanities and sciences,
and cultural practices and values.
As the nation’s only Native American-owned and operated lifelong
learning center, the Achein Center will focus on the arts and cultural
development of tribes and will benefit both indigenous peoples and others,
worldwide. The development cost of the Center is projected at $22 million.
The Kellogg Foundation is requiring a one to one match for an anticipated
second award of $8 million—challenging IAIA to raise an additional
$10 million, making this an outstanding public/private partnership in
an historical initiative.
For more information, call the Lifelong Learning Center’s Planning
Office at 505.424.5701.
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