Bdote Learning Center
Minneapolis School Finder Rating
About
About Us
At Bdote, students’ learning is place-based & experiential. Students are immersed in rigorous, active, interdisciplinary learning projects, often involving learning outside of school walls. Curriculum content is tied to the geographical surroundings of the school, the local history, landscape, ecology, & Native languages & cultures. They strive to develop a love of lifetime learning, language speakers, & to create a college preparatory path for all students.
Languages spoken by school staff
English, Ojibwe, Dakota
Extra programming
Extracurricular activities are done in collaboration with other community organizations.
Extracurriculars Offered:
Theater
Uniforms
Students who attend Bdote Learning Center are not required to wear uniforms.
How to enroll
To enroll, contact Kashina Danielson at (612) 729-9266 or info@bdotelearningcenter.org.
Students at this school
Teachers at this school
Average student to teacher ratio
Academics
Low Performing
Academic programming
Bdote’s teaching draws on the history, culture, languages, knowledge, values, & contributions of the American Indian people of this region. A place-based language immersion education model provides the best context for the school. In this model, students are immersed in rigorous & interdisciplinary projects that often involve learning outside of school walls. Curriculum content is tied to the geographical cultures as well as the needs, concerns, & aspirations of the present day community & the families served.
The years leading up to the opening of Bdote were dedicated to figuring out how a school could educate students without materials written in the language of the classroom. Through the dedication of many people, lesson plans have been created & now taught. While this will be a continued challenge, there is now a solid foundation from which to strengthen the educational practices within the school.
Academic Programs Offered:
Language Immersion
Special education programming
Bdote provides special education services & occupational therapy for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD), & speech impairment.
Curricula
Bdote uses the Barton Curriculum for English Language Learners.
English language learner programming
Bdote uses the Barton Curriculum, an inclusive reading curriculum that targets English language learners. Because of the immersion aspect of Bdote, English Language Arts (ELA) is not introduced until grade 3.
Proficiency
0 out of 10 students are performing math at grade level
0 out of 10 students read at grade level
Progress
This school does not have data for the 2025 year
This school does not have data for the 2025 year
Climate
Low Performing
School values
Bdote Learning Center’s mission is to build culturally aware, successful, high-performing students through academically rigorous education rooted in Native language & culture. Parents sometimes ask about immersion students’ English reading progress compared to English-only schools. Research shows that differences in early English literacy are temporary. Students who have completed four years of immersion are demonstrating the benefits of this approach. Over 500 studies comparing English-only schools to language immersion schools show that after grades 3-5, immersion students outperform their English-only peers in reading & writing. In fact, they outperformed in every single study. Beyond catching up academically, Bdote students gain fluency in their heritage language & cultural connections. The program builds bilingual learners who carry Dakota language & culture forward while achieving academic success.
Recess
No response from school.
Discipline Policy
Bdote believes that a fair & equitable district-wide school discipline policy will contribute to the quality of a student’s educational experience. It is the responsibility of the school board, administrators, teachers, & employees to safeguard the health & safety of each student. Parents/guardians are expected to exercise the required controls so that the student’s behavior will be conducive to the development of self-discipline & will not be disruptive to the school’s educational program. No policy will cover all situations. Therefore, the building administrator(s) or designee will make a determination of consequence/disciplinary action when student actions are not specifically addressed. All actions by an administrator/designee will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Teacher retention
Attendance
Discipline
Equity
Equity vision
Bdote’s vision is that all students will develop a love of lifelong learning, language, & cultural fluency. They will gain skills & education to determine their own future & develop a genuine commitment to contribute back to their family, community, & nation.
