SRMT Johnson O’Malley Program Receives National Recognition
Apr 22, 2014
The National Johnson O’Malley Association (NJOMA) Conference was recently held in Denver Colorado with Rebecca Smoke, Samantha Phillips and Stephanie Cook from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Education Division in attendance. The association recognizes the “specialized and unique educational needs” of our Native American students and celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year.
JOM Director Rebecca Smoke was honored by accepting the Exemplary Award for Region 4. This region consists of Tribal JOM programs located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Iowa, Michigan, Vermont and New Jersey. It is through this collaborative funding that Rebecca is able to bring many special and unique educational opportunities to our students. She is a constant driving force and doesn’t settle for “status quo”. She recognizes the unique needs that our children possess and works diligently to provide them with opportunities for growth - socially, physically and educationally. Her team of Educational Specialists, Jordan Thompson, Ashley Cumming, Brandi Benedict and Chanel Cook, are the backbone of the program.
The Tribe’s JOM Program is funded through a Federal JOM grant and is supplemented by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. Stephanie Cook, Executive Director of Education states, “Rebecca consistently strives to have our JOM program be a model that sets a high standard for planning, developing and implementing educational activities. She is creative, energetic and determined to bring the best programming to our students. She believes in raising the bar in the delivery of our services and constantly looks for ways to keep our students engaged in their educational development. Akwesasne is proud to have Rebecca working for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Johnson O’Malley Program!"
Photo: James Monchamp, President of NJOMA Presents Award to Rebecca Smoke
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