About Us
St. Joseph’s Indian School Strategic Plan
Since 1927, St. Joseph’s Indian School has been a place of hope, learning and care for Native American children and their families. Looking ahead, we see St. Joseph’s as more than a school. It will be a national model defining what holistic care and Native-serving education can be for generations to come.
“This plan reflects both the strength of our foundation and the responsibility we carry for the future. We are building on nearly a century of mission-driven work while continuing to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of Native American children and families.”
— Jennifer Renner-Meyer, Chief Executive Officer
Strategic Framework
In Native American culture and Catholic spirituality, the tree is a sacred symbol of life. Using this metaphor, our framework shows how our roots, trunk, branches and fruits work together to sustain and strengthen our work.
Roots: Who We Are
What grounds us and connects us to our purpose.
Trunk: How We Stand
What holds us up and allows us to carry out our mission each day.
Branches: Why We Grow
Where our daily efforts reach outward to shape lives, build trust and help define the future of care and education.
Fruit: What We Produce
The harvest we see when our roots are strong, our trunk is steady and our branches reach with purpose.
Five Key Priorities
While working within this framework, we have five key priorities:
1: Broaden Access & Lifelong Connection
We’re expanding opportunities for Native American children and families to join our community, and stay connected for life. By strengthening partnerships with tribes and local communities, we ensure every open enrollment spot is filled with mission-fit students and build a thriving network of alumni who return as mentors, volunteers and leaders. This includes ongoing healing and reconciliation efforts that honor past experiences and deepen trust across generations.
2: Cultivate a Workforce for the Future
We’re investing in the people who make our mission possible. That means attracting qualified, mission-aligned candidates and creating clear pathways for growth so every staff member — from new hires to seasoned supervisors — has the tools to lead with purpose. A strengthened development continuum ensures our team is prepared, supported and inspired for the work ahead.
3: Strengthen Influence
We’re elevating St. Joseph’s role as a leader in holistic care, philanthropy and Native American serving education. By sharing student success more frequently and engaging in meaningful collaboration with tribal partners, elders and community leaders, we contribute insight that strengthens impact nationwide. Our voice grows stronger as our relationships deepen.
4: Build a Culture of Unity & Clarity
We’re aligning how we work so our entire organization moves forward as one team. Streamlined systems and shared tools reduce duplication, improve communication and ensure consistent representation of St. Joseph’s with families, donors and partners. Clear processes help every department work together with confidence and purpose.
5: Ensure Long Term Sustainability
We’re safeguarding the future of St. Joseph’s through responsible stewardship of our financial, operational and environmental resources. Guided by Catholic values and Native American ways of living in balance with creation, we’re reducing our carbon footprint, strengthening donor sustainability and growing long-term giving. These efforts ensure we can serve children and families for generations to come.
