Northwest Indian College recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. It is the only tribal college that serves Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and it plays an essential role in nurturing the next generation of tribal leaders, indigenous scientists, and community members.
On October 18, 2023, the college hosted an Anniversary Open House at the Lummi Campus to commemorate its history and future.
This fall, NWIC published a record enrollment of 698 students. In the summer commencement, the college conferred 150 awards, certificates, and degrees at the Lummi Nation Stommish Grounds.
This year’s event marked NWIC’s 40th anniversary and the seventh consecutive year of over 100 students earning a degree or credential from the college.
Since 1990, the college has awarded over 2,000 awards, certificates, and degrees. The average graduate GPA was 3.41, and more than 50 graduates earned honors.
Additionally, the Washington State Department of Commerce recently announced more than a million dollars in grant funding for the Northwest Indian College Microgrid.
According to the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington, Stephanie Bostwick, a Spokane, Washington native with Blackfeet heritage, founded NWIC’s engineering program in 2019.
After attending a conference with NASA, Stephanie began collaborating with a network at the agency that introduces NASA technologies and practices in authentic, experiential learning environments.
She also worked with the faculty at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Fairbanks’ Alaska Center for Electric Power, which operates a Power Systems Integration Lab for testing devices on a simulated village power grid.
This type of testing is often utilized by island communities to help integrate renewables into their energy grids.
With guidance from faculty in UW’s RET program, Fairbanks’ microgrid experts, and staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Bostwick began shaping NWIC’s engineering curriculum towards a renewable energy focus.
We invite you to join us in celebrating 40 years of weaving community and opportunity! We look forward to the next 40 years and beyond! #NWIChttps://t.co/TnmESCs9Ih
— NWIC (@NWIndianCollege) October 20, 2023
“Energy sovereignty is a fundamental right for tribes,” Bostwick said in an interview with the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington in 2019. “Without installing energy infrastructure on Indigenous land and without the technical expertise within our communities to design, build, and maintain this infrastructure, tribes are still forced to rely on U.S. energy production. Our students need to learn more about solar and other renewable technologies to make the most informed decisions about how we generate our clean energy.”
WA Dept. of Commerce awards NWIC $1.4 million for the College's microgrid project. Commerce awarded dozens of organizations a total of $35.4 million for solar power with battery back-up systems to bolster community resilience.
Read more here: https://t.co/aBjVFyItRh pic.twitter.com/eurIrsK1y9
— NWIC (@NWIndianCollege) October 23, 2023
"Energy sovereignty is a fundamental right for Native tribes." – Stephanie Bostwick (Blackfeet), a WA energy engineer/educator and a 2020 participant in our Clean Energy Bridge to Research #RET program@UWaeroastro @NWIndianCollege@NREL #IndigenousPeoplesDay pic.twitter.com/t30beRXA8c
— Clean Energy Institute (@UW_CEI) October 10, 2022
Microgrids for education and energy equity // After founding the first engineering program at @NWIndianCollege, Stephanie Bostwick aims to bring clean energy to campus — and to the Lummi Nation.https://t.co/3PXEOgcPll
— Clean Energy Institute (@UW_CEI) March 18, 2022
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