*This is a virtual event series.

Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC): 2026 Fall Implementation Series

This professional development series builds on the foundational learning for the NASMC offered in 2025/26, providing educators, community members, and organizations with deeper guidance, expanded resources, and ongoing community-centered support. Open to all California educators, administrators, Tribal partners, Indian Education Specialists, organizations providing learning resources about California landscapes and resources as well as community members, this online series continues to advance implementation of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC) in alignment with California Education Code 51226.9.

Facilitated by Maggie Peters (Yurok/Karuk), NASMC Learning Specialist at the Humboldt County Office of Education, the Spring series offers new opportunities to explore the over 450+ lesson plans, primary sources, teaching strategies, and professional resources included in the NASMC. Participants will dive more deeply into best practices for culturally sustaining instruction and approaches to integrating Native perspectives across grade levels and disciplines.

This continuation series features expanded engagement with NASMC content experts—including scholars, writers, knowledge keepers, and Native-led organizations who contributed directly to the curriculum. These all new sessions will focus on practical classroom implementation, lesson modeling, enrichment activities, age-appropriate strategies, and guidance for navigating challenging topics with care and accuracy.

Throughout the Fall, educators will continue to strengthen their capacity to:

• Honor the First Peoples of California
• Build understanding of our shared environments and histories
• Affirm Native identities and counter misrepresentation
• Cultivate empathy, awareness, and sustained partnerships rooted in respect

Participants may earn 1 or 3 continuing education units through Cal Poly Humboldt for active engagement in the series. Registration will provide access to synchronous sessions as well as recordings for asynchronous learning. Whether you are new or returning to this series, please join us this Fall as we continue working toward meaningful, accurate, and community-rooted Native American Studies education in California classrooms.

Best Practices Series Meeting Dates:

• Wednesday August 26, 2026 – Orientation for new participants
• Wednesday September 2, 2026
• Wednesday October 14, 2026
• Wednesday November 4, 2026
• Wednesday December 2, 2026

*Registering once will register you for the entire 2026 Best Practices NASMC Series. Please register for the Tk-5 and/or 6-12 Lesson Deep Dive Sessions.