Explore Teacher Resources for Discussing American Indian Boarding Schools & Indigenous Resilience in the Classroom

K-12 Educators are invited to join us for an evening of professional learning, reflection, and connection at the Heard Museum. Held in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, this special program will help educators approach classroom conversations about the American Indian boarding school era and its ongoing impacts with care, accuracy, and respect—while centering Indigenous resilience.

Through engagement with our program partner, the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education, a special guest speaker, and a range of educational resources, participants will gain thoughtful perspectives and practical, classroom-ready ideas.

What’s included with this K-12 Educator Night?

• Exclusive after-hours gallery access to the Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories exhibition.
• A presentation from the Office of Indian Education featuring historical and educational context and practical resources for classroom instruction.
• Insights about using literature to open age-appropriate conversations with elementary students by award-winning author, Daniel W. Vandever.
• Opportunities to reflect, exchange resources, and network with fellow educators in the Phoenix area.
• A certificate for three hours of professional development credit.

Schedule
4 p.m.
Check-in begins

5 p.m.
Welcome and brief introduction by the Heard Museum Education team

5:10 p.m.
Presentation by Daniel Vandever on Fall in Line, Holden!, including a discussion of how educators can use the book to foster conversations around identity, belonging, individuality, and resilience

6:15 p.m.
Presentation by the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education, focusing on teaching about boarding schools, culturally responsive instruction, and classroom resources

7:00 p.m.
Event concludes

About Daniel W. Vandever, Guest Speaker

Daniel W. Vandever (Irish/Navajo) is an award-winning author and entrepreneur from Haystack, NM. He is the CEO of South of Sunrise Creative, a publishing and consulting firm that helps advance education initiatives in tribal communities.Weaving Navajo culture into the contemporary experience is at the heart of Vandever’s books, which he shares with schools across the nation. Vandever has worked with eight tribal nations to promote literacy spanning from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina.Vandever received an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico. Vandever is the grandson of Joe Vandever, Sr., Navajo Code Talker, U.S. Marine Corps.

Featured image (header): Installation view of Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories, 2026. Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona

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