Nikki Hannon (Little Shell Cree/Blackfeet) is the Education Initiatives Specialist for SchoolHouse Connection. She was born and raised on the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. Nikki is passionate about supporting the needs of historically underserved students through building relationships with youth, creating communities of support, and advocating for students’ rights.
Nikki has over 17 years of experience working with Native American students, pregnant and parenting youth, and youth experiencing homelessness. She served in several capacities at the district level, starting out as the Director of Alternative Education where she collaborated with district and community leaders to create a dropout prevention program. She has since served as a certified K-12 school counselor, McKinney Vento and Foster Care Liaison, and most recently as the Director of the Parent Community Outreach program. In this role, Nikki directed a district-run childcare center, Hi-Set education program, and the āissṗoōmmoǒtsiiyō•ṗ “We Help Each Other” Families In Transition program, which she expanded to include the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project and Kinship Program to support students being raised by family.
Nikki specializes in dropout prevention and centers her work on supporting Native American students in completing their high school education. She received her Master’s in Education in Risk and Prevention from Harvard University, as well as a Master’s in Education in Counselor Education from Montana State University-Northern. She is grateful to be a part of the SchoolHouse Connection team and its mission to overcome homelessness through education!