Cherokee Immersion School facts for kids

A student at an Oklahoma Cherokee language immersion school writes in the Cherokee syllabary.

The Cherokee Immersion School (ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ, Tsalagi Tsunadeloquasdi) is a special school in Park Hill, Oklahoma. It is a place where children learn the Cherokee language by being fully immersed in it. This means they learn all their subjects in Cherokee. The school teaches children from preschool up to the 8th grade.

The Cherokee Nation started this school in 2001. Its main goal is to help save the Cherokee language, which is in danger of disappearing. To attend, students must be members of a federally recognized tribe. There is an application process because only a limited number of students can join. After finishing 8th grade, students often go to Sequoyah High School. This high school teaches classes in both English and Cherokee. In August 2018, the school had 141 students.

Why the Cherokee Language Needs Help

The Cherokee language is very important to the Cherokee people. However, fewer and fewer people speak it fluently. In 2018, about 1,520 Cherokee people out of 376,000 could speak the language. Experts called the language "moribund," which means children were not learning it. This was a big worry because it meant the language might disappear.

Many fluent speakers were older, and about eight speakers passed away each month. In 2018, most speakers lived in the Cherokee Nation (about 1,200). Another 101 speakers were part of the United Keetoowah Band. A different dialect, called Kituwah, was spoken by about 220 Eastern Band Cherokee in North Carolina.

In June 2019, the leaders of the three Cherokee tribes declared an emergency for the language. They wanted to boost programs that help keep the language alive. At that time, they counted about 2,100 remaining speakers across the three tribes.

How the School Helps Students Learn

The Cherokee Immersion School teaches students from preschool through eighth grade. The school focuses on teaching all subjects in the Cherokee language. This helps students become fluent speakers.

In 2012, the Oklahoma Department of Education gave state tests. The school's principal, Holly Davis, explained that younger students had difficulty with the English tests. This was because there was no English teaching in the early grades. Despite this, the school earned a C grade on the state's A-F report card system. This was a great achievement, especially since it was the school's first year as a state-funded charter school. Eighth graders who graduate from the school are fluent in Cherokee. They often continue their language learning at Sequoyah High School.

In 2022, the school was planned to move into a new building. This building is called the Durbin Feeling Language Center. The construction for this new center began in May 2021.

A Second Campus for More Learning

In November 2021, the Cherokee Immersion School opened a second campus. This new campus is called Greasy Immersion Charter School. It is located in Greasy, Oklahoma, in southern Adair County. This area is special because it has the largest number of Cherokee speakers in the world.

The new campus gives more students the chance to learn in a full immersion environment. Students can spend their school day speaking Cherokee. Then, they can go home to families who also speak Cherokee. This helps them practice and live the language every day.