The Importance of Education

Finishing a formal education and pursuing higher education can benefit you, your family, and your Tribal community in multiple ways. Some of these benefits include:

Graduating high school and attending college increases your chances of getting a good job with a higher paycheck. On average, for every dollar a person invests in their higher education, they get $7.50 back in the form of higher income once they graduate. Additionally, people who get an associate’s degree (including from a Tribal College or University) will earn $9,400 more annually than people with a high school degree.

Finishing high school and pursuing a formal education also increases your ability to start and run a successful business, which can bring more jobs and money to your community.

Education helps develop skills involving critical thinking, communication, self-control, problem solving, stress management, gathering information, cognitive ability, and identifying choices and consequences. These skills, paired with traditional values and traditions, strengthens and protects you and your community.

Education improves your quality of health and reduces health risks such as alcohol and substance abuse and dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer, infection, injury, lung disease, and diabetes.

People who graduate from high school and go on to college become stronger individuals who are able and equipped to build up their communities. People who are educated are more likely to vote and volunteer compared to those who drop out of high school. Additionally, communities with more educated members have less criminal activity, trust each other more, and are more likely to promote equality.

Finishing your education gives you more opportunities, helps you make better choices for the future, and prepares you to live a better life.

How Skipping School Hurts

Frequent absences can make it difficult to keep up with your classmates in school, which makes it four times more likely that you’ll drop out of school. Dropping out of school can lead to other problems down the road, such as:

People who drop out of high school are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to people who graduate from college.

People who drop out of high school are up to 6 times more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs compared to people who graduate from high school and go on to receive a college degree. 

Due to fewer economic opportunities, people who drop out of high school are more likely to get involved in crime and end up in jail. Nearly half of incarcerated people do not have a high school degree. 

People who drop out of high school have higher healthcare bills. The average annual public health costs is $2,700 per high school dropout, compared to $1,000 per high school graduate and $170 per college graduate. Additionally, high school dropouts are more likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, cancer, infection, injury, lung disease, and diabetes.

Staying in school, on the other hand, helps decrease the likelihood of these problems later on.

By The Numbers

0
Native American high school students in Washington state were enrolled for the 2023-24 school year—a 23% decrease from the 64,024 students for the 2018-29 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0
Native American high school students in the NWESD 189 were enrolled for the 2023-24 school year—a 24% decrease from the 9,925 students for the 2018-29 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0
high school students were enrolled at Lummi Nation School at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state had regular attendance (less than two absences) during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of high school students at Lummi Nation School attended 90% or more of school days during the 2025-26 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of students in Washington state missed over 10% of the 2023-2024 school year.
Source: kuow.org
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state showed a foundational understanding or above of grade-level mathematics during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of high school students at Lummi Nation School showed a foundational understanding or above of grade-level mathematics in the spring of 2026.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state showed a foundational understanding or above of grade-level English Language Arts (ELA) during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of high school students at Lummi Nation School showed a foundational understanding or above of grade-level English Language Arts (ELA) during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state showed a foundational understanding or above of grade-level science during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state dropped out during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native American high school students in Washington state graduated during the 2023-24 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of high school students at Lummi Nation School graduated during the 2024-25 school year.
Source: ospi.k12.wa.us
0 %
of Native Americans ages 18-24 were enrolled in college in 2022 compared to 39% of Americans overall.
Source: pnpi.org
0 %
of Native Americans aged 25 or older had earned a bachelor's degree or higher in 2023 compared to the national rate of 36.2%
Source: pnpi.org
$ 0
is the average gross income of Native American college graduates ten years after receiving a bachelor's degree compared to the national average of $76,370.
Source: pnpi.org
0 %
of Native American children under 18 years old lived in a household with a parent who completed a bachelor's degree or higher in 2022 compared to 56% of white children.
Source: pnpi.org

Your Journey to Success

These tips can help you stay on track, connect what you learn to your roots, and be successful.

There are several ways to participate in traditional cultural activities. Participation can include:

  • Attending powwows and funerals
  • Visiting a sweat lodge
  • Hunting and fishing
  • Playing traditional games 
  • Learning traditional practices such as:
    • Drumming
    • Dancing
    • Basket weaving
    • Canoeing
    • Gathering traditional foods and medicines
    • Singing prayer songs and other traditional songs
    • Telling traditional stories

Missing school can make it more difficult to keep up with coursework. Students who are frequently absent are four times more likely to drop out of school compared to their peers.

Your health can affect how well you learn and complete schoolwork. Eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and taking time to relax will help you do well both in school and in other areas of your life.

Being kind can have huge benefits for you, your school, and your community. Some of those benefits include:

  • More happiness
  • More empathy
  • Stronger sense of belonging
  • Improved self-esteem
  • Better relationship and connection with peers
  • Better health
  • Less stress
  • More gratitude
  • Better concentration
  • Improved results in schoolwork
  • Less depression
  • Less bullying

Your education can honor your heritage and build a stronger community. Let’s learn, lead, and grow together.

FAQ

Issues at school or home can make finishing schooling more difficult, which may lead to frequent absences and potentially dropping out. There are several issues that can make school more difficult, which can include:

  • Anxiety, high levels of stress, depression, or other mental health disorders
  • Bullying
  • Difficulties making or keeping friends
  • Difficulties focusing or learning
  • Feeling unwell

Addressing these issues can help you do better in school and finish your education. Talk with your parents and teachers to see what solutions and resources may be helpful. Depending on your circumstances, you and your family may need additional help so you can attend school regularly and be more successful. Some solutions may include:

  • Talking with a healthcare provider about difficulties in learning or focusing to find a solution, such as testing for ADHD or getting glasses
  • Talking to a healthcare provider about mental health treatment
  • Learning about bullying and what you can do to stop it

We R Native is a website for Native youth that helps provide culturally relevant information about topics such as bullying, health, dating and relationships, and so on.

UNITY is an organization that helps Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native youth. They provide resources like scholarships and initiatives to address issues Native youth face.

Parents can work with educators to find resources for their child, request accommodations as needed, and more. When parents are partnered with educators and involved in their child’s education, children improve in academic success. The U.S. Department of Education provides sample questions, including questions about attendance, that can guide parents in their efforts to partner and work with their child’s teachers and school.  

Let your child know that you are there to help them if they need it and that you see their hard work. Positive reinforcement, such as praise or a high five, can be motivating for your child. You can also reward your child for the effort they put into their schoolwork; for example, you might get your child a small treat for completing a project. Finally, help them connect their long-term goals with their current efforts in schoolwork and other related activities.

Resources

Lummi Nation School
Download Posters
Other Resources