Navajo Prep was established in 1991 by the Education Committee of the Navajo Nation Council (Resolution ECMY-33-91). The school is incorporated under the Navajo Nation Corporation Code and the New Mexico State Corporation Commission as a non-profit organization under 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
Navajo Prep is located in Farmington, New Mexico on the 82.45 acre site of the former campus of the Navajo Methodist Mission School. The site was purchased by the Navajo Nation in 1995 from the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church (Navajo Nation Council Resolution CJA-02-95). The site is now the permanent home of the Navajo Prep under a 99-year lease with the Navajo Nation (RCMA-38-98).
The school operates under the auspices of Public Law 100-297 as a grant school with federal funding, pursuant to legislative sanction by the Navajo Nation. The current reauthorization of the Public Law 100-297 by the Navajo Nation Board of Education ends June 30, 2025.
Our Colors
Since the beginning of our time as Diné, the colors which represent the cardinal directions have been special to us. These colors are white, turquoise, yellow and black. Each of these colors holds a variety of symbolic meanings that combine in a complete and balanced model of the universe. The structure of the Navajo Preparatory School curriculum is based on this fourfold model and reflects the symbolic meanings of each of the four quadrants. The concepts that express this in educational terms are Nitsahakees, Nahat’a, Iina, and Sih Hasin.
- White represents dawn, spring, corn, Kin yaa’aanii, infancy, the mind, and thinking.
- Turquoise represents the midday, summer, beans, To’ahani, childhood, the body of, and motor skills.
- Yellow represents twilight, autumn, squash, Todich’ii’nii, adulthood, social responsibilities, and the ability to communicate effectively.
- Black represents night, Winter, tobacco, Hashtili’ishnii, elderly life, emotional stability, and patience.
Our Name: Navajo Preparatory School
Navajo is the name given to our people by a foreign culture. We, as Navajo, identify ourselves as Diné: The People.
Preparatory signifies the preparation that students receive while attending our school. Here, they learn about life, science, beauty, songs, languages, and harmony. As they search for their destinies in this existence, they ask themselves what they can do for our world to maintain balance and harmony. This is the preparation for tomorrow that we offer.
School signifies a place of learning about ourselves and our surroundings. It is through experience that we learn and grow to become wise leaders.
Our Mascot
Navajo Preparatory School’s mascot is the eagle. To the Diné people, the eagle is sacred. It is the leader of the sky people. We want our students to reach their highest goals through learning and interscholastic activities, to soar beyond their shortfalls. This is what we seek to instill in the young minds of our students.
About the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at NPS
Identity and Purpose of the Navajo Preparatory School IB Programme
The International Baccalaureate Program is an integral part of Navajo Preparatory School. The purpose of the program is to provide students with an academically challenging high school education, which meets worldwide standards and criteria and is sanctioned by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Navajo Preparatory School became an authorized IB World School in 2014 to offer the programme to students in their Junior and Senior years of high school. As of Fall 2021, Navajo Prep is a candidate school for the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to offer this rigorous academic program to Freshmen and Sophomores as well. All courses taught at Navajo Preparatory School are designed with the philosophy and framework of the IB in mind.
Overview
The IB curriculum provides a cohesive and comprehensive liberal arts and sciences program of study for highly motivated students of differing educational backgrounds, abilities, and interests. It is not just a set of examinations, but a rigorous pre-university program, which will provide the basis for life-long education. The IB aims to provide a balanced program, which stimulates thought and creativity, and enhances the international perspective of students. Students who satisfy the demands of the programme demonstrate a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of mastery of content and the development of skills.
The purpose of the IB curriculum is to:
- educate young people to act intelligently and responsibly in a complex society;
- ensure knowledge of traditional academic disciplines and of the individual’s own heritage, while fostering inquisitiveness and openness to new ideas; and
- equip students with a genuine understanding of themselves and others, heightening the capacity for tolerance and engendering respect for different points of view.