Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School Visits Dine College in Cultural Enrichment Field Trip
14th May 2024
Tsaile, AZ – In a significant cultural immersion initiative, Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School, under the leadership of Mr. Fritzgerald Clark, the Native Language Culture Lead Teacher, facilitated a field trip to Dine College on May 15, 2024. This event, organized in collaboration with Dine College recruiting, saw the participation of 65 students from 4th to 7th grade.
The visiting students were treated to a comprehensive tour of the College’s facilities, including the Wellness Center, Ned Hatahli Cultural Center and Museum, Learning Center, and School of Transformation. They had the unique opportunity to explore the museum located on the fourth floor, the Library, Gorman Hall, the Student Success Center, residential halls, the fitness room, and the gym, offering them a firsthand experience of college life.
Reflecting on the purpose of the visit, Clark shared, “We decided to take the students to Dine College because learning about culture and traditions doesn’t stop after high school. We wanted to showcase that Dine College is steeped in Navajo Tradition and also retains the Navajo language.”
The field trip also included a visit to the Warrior Coffee shop and a lunch session at the college cafeteria, marking an enjoyable end to the half-day tour.
This visit shows how dedicated Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School and Dine College are to helping kids understand and value Navajo traditions and language, keeping the culture alive.
Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School, initially constructed in 1968 as a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) operation, is located 25 miles southeast of the community of Bloomfield, NM, on the east side of Highway 550. In 2005, the school was transformed into a grant school to serve the community better. It provides education for students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. Situated in New Mexico on the eastern part of the Navajo Reservation near the sacred Huerfano Mountain, the school plays a vital role in the lives of students from several chapters and communities in the area.
