Wisconsin's Lac du Flambeau Native American tribe has developed an accredited tribal-technical college dental hygiene program.
Nicolet College in Minocqua, in association with the Peter Christensen dental campus in Lac du Flambeau, developed the accredited program.
The collaboration is the first partnership between an Indian tribe and a technical college, according to a Lakeland Times story.
Nicolet College recently received its initial accreditation approval from the national Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The partnership allows students a hands-on educational experience in a state-of-the-art dental facility.
The accreditation process started nearly a year ago and included a review of Nicolet's program. The process included evaluations of course content, what skills students would learn, and a plan for students that ensured clinical training.
Dental director Paco Fralick, DDS, helped develop the curriculum to meet CODA requirements and provide career opportunities for tribal members.
This past spring, five of the 10 students who enrolled in the dental assisting program were Native American. For the fall session, the program has 11 individuals enrolled in the program and five in the dental hygiene program. There are two full-time instructors and three part-time instructors for both programs.
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