Humboldt County Office of Education: Native American Studies Model Curriculum

Native American Studies Model Curriculum

A Statewide Partnership Effort Funded through the California Department of Education

Find the Native American Studies Model Curriculum Here!

Join the NASMC Continuous Improvement Network!

Open to all California educators, administrators, Tribal partners, and community members, this online series supports the implementation of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC) in alignment with state education code.

These professional developments  introduce over 450 TK–12+ lessons and resources that center Native voices and histories. Participants will engage with Native scholars, curriculum writers, and knowledge keepers to support implementation of the NASMC in educational spaces throughout California. Continuing education units (1 or 3) are available through Cal Poly Humboldt. Join us in bringing meaningful, accurate, and community-rooted collaboration to inspire a future of respectful partnerships.

TK-12
Best Practices Sessions

  • Dates: 9/15, 9/17, 10/15, 11/12, 12/10
  • Time: 4:30-5:30pm

Learn More/Register

TK-5
Lesson Deep Dive Series

  • Dates: 9/24, 10/22, 11/19, 12/17
  • Time: 4:30-6:00pm

Learn More/Register

6-12
Lesson Deep Dive Series

  • Dates: 10/1, 11/5, 12/3, 12/17
  • Time: 4:30-6:00pm

Learn More/Register

NASMC Graphic

Guided by Their Steps
Monica Zavala (Gabrielino/ Tongva)
Artwork used with permission

Register for the NorCal NASMC Celebration

Carrying Our Stories Forward: Introducing the Native American Studies Model Curriculum

Event Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Location: HCOE Sequoia Center Eureka, CA

Join us to celebrate the launch of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC), California’s first statewide, free educational resources designed to center and uplift Native American voices, histories, and perspectives in public education. Developed by the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), the NASMC includes:

  • Over 450 Standards-aligned lesson plans and culturally grounded professional development resources
  • Primary source documents including commissioned and licensed Native Artwork, videos, poetry, and testimonies
  • Planning and teaching resources

Register Now!

$

Overview

The Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC) is defined as lesson plans, primary source documents, planning resources, teaching strategies, and professional development activities to assist educators in teaching about Native American studies. The Humboldt County Office of Education and the San Diego County Office of Education have been selected as lead agencies in the development of the NASMC.  By design, the model curriculum will be developed in partnership with California Tribes, other COEs, and native youth serving organizations. HCOE serves regions 1-3 as noted in map below.

To date, Humboldt County Office of Education has hosted 120 community meetings, reaching 2,546 participants, across Northern California.

Learn more about the HCOE’s NASMC journey from this ACSA Leadership article:

The California Native American Studies Model Curriculum: A transformative moment for California education

NASMC Region Map

AB 167 Model Curriculum Projects

Assembly Bill 167, Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021 amended California Education Code sections 33540.2, 33540.4, 33540.6 and 51226.9, for the development and maintenance of model curricula relating to the Vietnamese American refugee experience, the Cambodian genocide, Hmong history and cultural studies, and Native American studies. The California Department of Education shall, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the state board, enter into contracts with county offices of education for the purposes of developing a model curriculum. Work on these projects will begin in 2022 and conclude by September of 2025.

Please continue to return to this page as information will be posted as the project progresses.  Feel free to reach out to Colby Smart, HCOE Assistant Superintendent with questions about the NASMC project.

Additional Resources

NASMC Project Resources

General Resources

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Contact Information

Maggie Peters
Native American Learning Specialist
Humboldt County Office of Education
Tel: 707.845.6960
Email:  mpeters@hcoe.org

Cutcha Risling Baldy, Ph.D.
NASMC Lead Scholar
Cal Poly Humboldt
Tel: 707.826.4322
Email:  crislingbaldy@humboldt.edu

Rosie Slentz, Ed.D
Director, Learning Support Services
Humboldt County Office of Education
Tel: 707.834.0786
Email: rslentz@hcoe.org

Colby Smart, Ed.D
Deputy Superintendent
Humboldt County Office of Education
Tel: 707.445.7031
Email: csmart@hcoe.org