Department of Education

The Department of Education’s mission is to provide learners of all ages access to a variety of high-quality educational opportunities. The department hopes to enhance the pride, culture and expectations of all Band members. Commissioner of Education Rick St. Germaine oversees the department.

The Band helps provide its members of all ages with a variety of educational opportunities through Head Start/Early Head Start, academics, extracurricular activities, scholarships, library services, and Ojibwe language and cultural programming.

2018 Annual Report

You can download the 2018 Nay Ah Shing Annual Report here: 2018 Nay Ah Shing Annual Report.

Wewinabi Early Education

Head Start, Early Head Start, and day care services are available for infants, toddlers and preschoolers ages 0-5 in District I. Districts II and III offer Early Head Start and Head Start to children ages 0-5.

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Nay Ah Shing Schools

The Mille Lacs Band operates the K-12 Nay Ah Shing Schools in District I of the reservation. Nay Ah Shing Schools provide education for students in grades K-12. Nay Ah Shing is North Central Association (NCA) accredited and meets all criteria established by the State of Minnesota. Pine Grove Leadership in Aazhoomog (District III) is a satellite of Nay Ah Shing.

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Lehtitia Weiss
Principal

320-532-4690 Ext. 2208


Byron Ninham
Assistant Principal

320-532-4695 Ext. 2104


Megan Ballinger
Principal's Executive Administrative Assistant

320-532-4690 Ext. 2206


Maia Satterlund
Assistant Principal's Executive Administrative Assistant

320-532-4695 Ext. 2140


Ge-Niigaanizijig Program

The Ge-Niigaanizijig Program is a comprehensive after-school mentoring program with four main components or pillars: culture, community, career, and education.

The Education Department employs youth mentors for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The Aanjibimaadizing Program, which is part of the Department of Administration, employs teen mentors to work with students from grade 7 through 24 years of age.

For more information or to enroll your student, call the Aanjibimaadizing office at 320-532-7407 or 800-922-4457.

Minisinaakwaang Leadership Academy

Minisinaakwaang Leadership Academy, an Ojibwe Indian Charter School located in East Lake, is dedicated to a mission of significantly improving the academic performance of Ojibwe students from the East Lake/District II community. The academy has a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education and is operated independently from the Mille Lacs Band. The school opened in fall 2007.

Minisinaakwaang Leadership Academy
20930 367th Ln
East Lake, Minnesota, MN 55760

218-768-5320

Mille Lacs Band Scholarship Program

The Mille Lacs Band Scholarship Program provides financial aid to all Band members as they pursue their educational goals and rewards them financially when they achieve those goals. This program is not intended to replace other forms of financial aid.

For more information, see Mille Lacs Band Scholarship Program.

Anishinaabe College

Anishinaabe College (formerly Mille Lacs Tribal College) is located at the District I Community Center. The college offers post-secondary classes through a collaborative partnership with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Please contact the MLBO Higher Education Office at 320-532-4795 to register. For information on course schedules and tuition, visit fdltcc.edu.