Montezuma Creek Teacher Christina Boone awarded Yale fellowship

San Juan School District is recognizing Christina Boone, a teacher at Montezuma Creek Elementary School, for completing the 2026 Yale National Initiative program.
Boone is one of seven teachers from school districts on the Navajo Nation selected as Yale National Fellows this year. 
The program helps public school teachers increase their knowledge of the subjects they teach and develop new curriculum for their students.
Boone attended a two-day orientation at Yale University in May and returned in July for a two-week intensive session.
During the session, Fellows participated in daily seminars led by Yale faculty and conducted research for curriculum units they will teach during the coming school year.
The units are designed to meet district standards and respond to the needs of students in each Fellow’s classroom.
Boone’s completed curriculum unit will be published on the Yale National Initiative website later this month, making it available to teachers in San Juan School District and across the country.
The Yale National Initiative brings public school teachers and university faculty together to strengthen instruction, support student engagement and provide classroom teachers with leadership opportunities.
Teachers from the Navajo Nation have participated in the program since 2011.
Boone will return to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, for the program’s Annual Conference on Nov. 6 and 7.
Fellows will discuss their experiences teaching the curriculum units, and students will share what they learned from the new lessons.