Our mission

The challenge

Imagine living in a nation within a nation. Imagine the constant dissonance between the identities and value systems of these two nations. Imagine living in a world where it is reported that one in three women are raped or suffer sexual abuse, where almost half the population never graduates high school, only eight out of 100 have college degrees, where more than 50 percent of the population live at or below the poverty line, and 40 percent of those who die by suicide are between the ages of 15 and 24. (Among young adults ages 18 to 24, American Indians have higher rates of suicide than the general population.) Then imagine being told, “You just have to get used to it. It’s just the way it is.”

Youth come to Holbrook Indian School (HIS) with unimaginable challenges. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and trust and abandonment issues seem to be the norm. Now imagine trying to learn and function in an academic setting with these kinds of challenges.

our solution

The faculty and staff of HIS seek to provide a safe haven for our students to learn, grow, and thrive in Christ by giving them the tools and skills needed to face the challenges that confront them. 

HIS uses a multidisciplinary approach that nurtures the creative spirit of each student by teaching them how to express themselves through art, graphic design, photography, and music. Along with math, English, science, and history, HIS offers vocational classes with practical applications such as welding, auto mechanics, woodworking, and horsemanship. Additionally, HIS seeks to preserve and celebrate Native American culture by teaching the traditions of Navajo language, history, and government, as well as indigenous arts.

HIS desires to restore the image of our Creator in our students through our initiative called MAPS (Mental, Academic/Artistic, Physical, Spiritual). By promoting the development of the whole person in this way, the healing process can begin. Students are then freed to explore a personal relationship with Christ and healthy relationships with others. Learn more about MAPS.

Track record

The success of an educational institution is often measured by former students who’ve passed through its halls. For more than 75 years, Holbrook Indian School has enriched the lives of hundreds of American Indians. Former students have become nurses, lawyers, business owners, community leaders, pastors, human services agents, teachers, members of the U.S. armed forces, school administrators, Gates Millennium Scholars, a Circuit Court Judge, and even a chief mechanic for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. However, what surpasses these success stories is that our alumni leave with the knowledge they are deeply loved by our Creator. Read alumni stories.

GIVING Opportunities

Individuals, churches, foundations, and businesses who see their giving as an investment in the future of HIS students provide more than 80 percent of our required funds. About 13 percent of funds come from the Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and only one percent of operating funds come from students who pay a tuition of $87 per month (if a student cannot afford to pay the fee, we find a way to help them). In actuality, it costs more than $2,000 per month to provide food, housing, education, extra-curricular activities, and other necessities for just one student.

Along with providing for the needs of our students, the campus of Holbrook Indian School is in continual need of maintenance, repair, and capital improvements. Some of our faculty homes are more than 50 years old and need to be replaced.

Gifts made to HIS can be directed to support general operations, worthy students, specific programs, or capital projects, while funds given to the HIS Endowment will help ensure Holbrook Indian School is here for future generations.

Help Our students

Because we simply cannot do all of this without your help, every gift matters. Most of those who invest in HIS students make a monthly contribution either by check or credit card. Whether you give annually, quarterly, or monthly, your support will make a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and their communities.

Some of our friends have chosen to leave a lasting legacy and remember HIS in their estate plan. If you are interested in making a planned gift through your will, trust, insurance plan, or other financial vehicles, please speak with your financial advisor. No matter how you choose to give, we thank you for joining us on our journey to bring hope, health, healing, and restoration to our nation’s first children.