Helen Maynor Scheirbeck

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Helen Maynor Scheirbeck (August 21, 1935 – December 19, 2010) was a

activist. Born in Lumberton, North Carolina,[1] she was Assistant Director for Public Programs at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. Scheirbeck was best known for her work with young Native Americans, training them to work with the United States Congress
and other federal agencies in the United States to promote policies that help Indian communities.

Before her work with the Smithsonian Institution, Scheirbeck was the national director for

American Indian Civil Rights Act
.

Professional history

Early life and education

Helen Maynor was born into the Lumbee Tribe. Scheirbeck earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1957 in education from Berea College in Kentucky. In 1980, she earned a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.[1]

Career

Scheirbeck began her professional career as an

War on Poverty
.

She helped establish the Coalition of Indian Controlled School Boards in 1972. She was appointed by

United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Office of Indian Education. Here, she developed strategy in 1973 to enable tribal colleges and universities to obtain start-up funds as developing institutions through Title III of the Higher Education Act
.

In 1978, Scheirbeck assisted in the development of the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act, and guided it to passage in Congress. This legislation formed the foundation of the tribal college movement in the United States. Scheirbeck was appointed head of the Indian Head Start Program in 1991, where she managed the American Indian and Alaskan Native Head Start Bureau and improved its efficiency nationwide.

From 1987 to 1995, she served on the

Board of Trustees
of the National Museum of the American Indian, key to its founding. After her term as a trustee ended, she became director of the museum's public programs.

References

  1. ^ a b "Helen Maynor Scheirbeck Papers, 1939-2008 (bulk 1960-1990)". www2.lib.unc.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helen_Maynor_Scheirbeck&oldid=1150846111"