

The Wyandotte Nation has worked as a federally recognized tribe to better the quality of life for people in northeastern Oklahoma for more than 85 years. The tribe has invested in education across the board, from pre-kindergarten to postgraduate degrees, with a focus on grade-by-grade academic preparedness. Over the past decade, the relationship between NEO A&M College and the Wyandotte Nation has grown significantly. The tribe provides financial and cultural support for AICE, the NEO American Indian Center of Excellence, which serves the 15.6% Native American and Alaskan Native student population attending the college. The Wyandotte Nation was one of three tribes that partnered with other community stakeholders to establish the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center on the NEO campus. The center provides free small business advising free of charge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wyandotte Nation Bearskin Healthcare and Wellness Center provided on-campus vaccinations to students, faculty and staff at no cost. Most recently, the Wyandotte Nation donated $100,000 to the NEO nursing program to upgrade technology and equipment, which will help NEO deliver quality nurses to the workforce. Many of the nurses employed by the Wyandotte Nation are NEO nursing graduates. The tribe has further supported the college with its involvement and support of NEO Foundation events and scholarship fundraisers.