community of learners
Philosophy
Iswa Head Start and Early Head Start dedicates itself to providing comprehensive child development programs for eligible children and their families. The program is designed to support a family’s role as the primary educator of their child. Our staff understands that each student’s home language and culture is fundamental to their learning. Our educators create safe, nurturing, culturally diverse learning environments that welcome our families and students.
Our School
Dedicated Educators
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
Learning is easier when you have excellent teachers and support staff around them. That's why our educators are experts in their fields. They are dedicated in the early learning education that you children need and want.
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
We offer a wide variety of cultural inclusion activities, such as music, drumming and language.
Learning Environment
Catawba Nation Cultural Learning
Learning Environment
Along with the curriculum, we focus on other aspects of education that are often overlooked. We put an emphasis on creativity within a structure that has been proven to have a positive impact on learning.
Brief History of the Catawba Indian Nation
Of the 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Catawba Indian Nation is the only one located in the state of South Carolina. The modern-day tribal lands are located in York County, South Carolina. There are currently over 3300 enrolled members of the Nation. The Nation has a long history and a rich culture that lives on today. The Catawba Indians have lived on their ancestral lands along the banks of the Catawba River dating back at least 6000 years. The Catawba have learned to survive through the changes around them while also continuing to preserve the most essential parts of their culture. Today, the Catawba citizenship is diverse, and though many citizens live throughout the United States and outside of the country, the majority live on or near our reservation lands. The Catawba still recognize the reservation as their homelands and feel connected to the ancestors that preserved our Nation by living there and passing the land down from generation to generation. Iswa Head start and Early Head Start Schools are located on the Catawba Indian Reservation.