UA News

The public is invited to see the Navajo comedy duo James and Ernie, with proceeds of tickets supporting American Indian educational scholarships.

More than 500 American Indian youth from around the state will attend the Arizona Indian Education Association's American Indian Youth Conference, hosted by The University of Arizona on Nov. 20 and 21.

Students from grades 8 through 12 are attending the statewide youth educational conference in an effort by the association to support, encourage and provide the necessary resources for students to achieve their educational and career goals.   

The Arizona Indian Education Association, also known as AIEA, is a nonprofit organization built on the collaboration and commitment of its members to improve American Indian education statewide and nationally. Membership to the association includes professional development activities and/or training for members as well as American Indian parents, youth and school administration staff.

"Our membership includes educators from pre-kindergarten through higher education, but membership is open to anyone interested in advancing the cause of academic excellence by helping students succeed in the modern world through a strong traditional grounding," said Travis Lane, co-chair of this year's conference.

The University of Arizona is hosting the AIEA American Indian Youth Conference for the first time since its inception in 2000.

"We are delighted to welcome Native American middle and high school students from across the State to the UA," said Karen Francis-Begay, the special advisor to the president for Native American Affairs.  "The UA holds a long tradition of supporting Native American students who choose the UA to receive a college education."

This year's conference theme is "Strengthening Culture & Education to Empower Our Youth". President Robert N. Shelton, who will be giving the conference's opening remarks said, "The University is privileged to have the opportunity to share educational opportunities at the UA with these talented students." 

The conference includes workshops to help students with career planning, leadership and programs that promote academic success. "We also included workshops that tie in traditional culture with higher education goals," said Lane.

One such program to be highlighted at the conference is the UA's First Year Scholars Program, a living-learning community on the UA campus. It is run by the Native American Student Affairs office. The scholars take several common courses and have access to mentors and tutors and also have an opportunity to live in a residence hall with other new students.

Lane said one of the issues the association tackles is retention. The organization provides scholarships to American Indian youth from middle school through college.

AIEA together with programs such as First Year Scholars aim to increase graduation rates in the Native American community.

"We know that American Indian students are vulnerable to truancy and drop-out rates due to lack of resources. It is a core issue and we want to make sure families are given an opportunity through scholarships to fight against this," Lane said.

The conference also offers an event that is open to the general pubic. Members of the Alpha Pi Omega, Beta Sigma Epsilon and the UA Center for Student Involvement and Leadership will sponsor the Navajo comic duo James and Ernie in support for the AIEA Scholarship Program.

"Alpha Pi Omega Sorority is committed to providing opportunities for American Indians to develop the leadership skills needed to give back to our tribal communities" said Erin Boyd, UA president of the Alpha Pi Omega Sorority. 

James and Ernie are from the Navajo Reservation and perform a mixture of reservation humor, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy and musical parodies of life. The pair delivers a positive message promoting healthy lifestyle choices, fitness, and saying no to drugs and alcohol – all through the realm of comedy. 

"Bear Down with James and Ernie" is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, at the UA's Social Sciences Building Room 100. Tickets are $8 for UA students with ID and $10 for the general public. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.