Land Grant Office
General Information
Welcome
Welcome to the Diné College Land Grant Office webpage. We are proud to promote and share our extension education programs with you. Over the past five years we have working diligently to expand and improve our community outreach services in youth development and rangeland, farming, and livestock management. Gradually we are connecting all the curriculums to include ways to live a healthier lifestyle.
Several programs that we are proud of are, beef cattle reproduction seminars, range monitoring, environmental youth camps, illegal dumping workshops, and school presentations.
Our office is located at the Diné College, Tsaile Campus on the west end of campus near the Land Grant Demonstration Farm or Rodeo Ground. We welcome you to visit us at our office to discuss concerns about your farm, ranch, and/or livestock. We also encourage you to present new ideas to improve our programs and establish new programs that are not readily available.
Overview
In 1994, Diné College was given Land Grant Institution Status through U.S. Congress. The Land Grant Office (LGO) was created in 1996 by the Board of Regents to administer the United States Land Grant mission and goals. Through funding from United States Department of Agriculture Nation Institute for Food and Agriculture the LGO plans, designs and develops culturally-based informal education by teaching, implementing research and establishing extension programs pertinent to the Navajo stakeholders.
Mission
To serve the College and Navajo Nation stakeholders through:
- Student and professional development, research, and curriculum design;
- Economic and rural development;
- Community and local development;
- Natural resource and environmental management;
- Resource and information center at the College; and
- Partnership and networks that foster community empowerment.
Goals
- To initiate, develop, organize and coordinate local community based projects that improve economic development, natural environmental resources, agriculture, and livestock.
- To partner with Diné College Departments to develop academic curricula that will prepare College students for careers in these fields and provide professional advancement opportunities for staff, faculty and community members, and provide student recruitment and retention.
- To ensure the health and well-being of Diné land, water, resources, economy, community and lifeways by prompting culturally relevant approaches to restoration, renewal, and sustainability in every endeavor and to disseminate the information.
- To establish partnerships at all levels with governments, public agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private entities in order to pursue funding, conduct and implement projects, present educational events, carry out research, and engage in other activities that serve the Navajo people.
Funding
The Diné College LGO consists of five personnel and operates on 100% grant funding. The United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Tribal College Program allows Diné College to compete for grant funding in Extension, Research and Equity. Along with those funding, an endowment is allocated to Diné College due to Tribal College Land Grant status.
Current: 2010-2011 Funding:
- Endowment: 1 Year Funding, October 1, 2010 to September 31, 2011 $307, 397
- Extension: 4 Year funding, September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2011 “Youth Development Programs on the Navajo Nation” $340,000 ($85,000 annual funding)
- USDA NRCS Agreement: 1 Year Funding, October 1, 2010 to September 31, 2011 “Conservation Projects, Illegal Dumping and Agricultural Workshops” $30,000 (Reimbursable Grant)
- USDA Forest Service Agreement: 1 year with No Cost Extension to end September 2011 “Youth Camps to incorporate a Forestry Component” $20,000 (Reimbursable Grant)
Contact
Benita Litson
Director
928.724.6940
e-mail
Mail to:
P.O. Box 7B
Tsaile, AZ 86556