Share Your Story: How Technology Shaped Navajo High School Graduation

Digital Paths to Diplomas is a research study focused on the voices of Navajo high school graduates. The study explores how graduates used technology: smartphones, laptops, online tools, and digital resources, to support learning and achieve high school success while living on the Navajo Nation. By sharing your experiences, you can help educators, community leaders, and policymakers better understand the opportunities and challenges of technology in Navajo education. This research highlights the resilience of Navajo students, the importance of culturally relevant education, and the role technology plays in shaping pathways to graduation.

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Purpose of the Study

Education has long been a central pathway to opportunity, self-determination, and cultural continuity. For the Navajo Nation, the pursuit of high school graduation represents more than the completion of coursework, it is an achievement that affirms resilience, community support, and the ability to navigate multiple worlds. In today’s era, where technology increasingly shapes access to knowledge, communication, and resources, understanding how Navajo graduates engage with these tools is essential. The purpose of this qualitative study, Digital Paths to Diplomas, is to explore how recent Navajo high school graduates describe their use of technology in achieving educational success. Unlike large-scale surveys or statistical reports, this study listens directly to the voices of graduates. Their experiences, whether through smartphones used for assignments, laptops borrowed for online classes, or navigating limited internet connectivity, provide a rich and nuanced picture of what technology means in the unique context of the Navajo Nation.

This study seeks to uncover more than just whether technology was available. It asks how these tools were woven into the daily lives of students, what challenges or barriers they encountered, and what role technology played in sustaining motivation and academic achievement. Did it serve as a bridge between home and school? Did it allow students to reach beyond their local community for knowledge and support? Or did gaps in access create new burdens that shaped their educational journey? By pursuing these questions, the study aims to shed light on the lived realities behind statistics about digital divides.

The voices of Navajo graduates are vital because they reveal perspectives that too often go unheard in discussions of educational technology. Policies and programs designed without community input risk missing cultural, linguistic, and geographic realities that shape learning. This study offers graduates a platform to share how technology impacted them, not only in classrooms but in their identities as Navajo students navigating between traditional values and modern educational systems.

Ultimately, the purpose of Digital Paths to Diplomas is twofold: to document the strategies and resilience of Navajo graduates in using technology, and to generate insights that educators, leaders, and policymakers can use to strengthen educational practices within the Navajo Nation. By focusing on stories rather than statistics, this study highlights the human side of technology use, how tools become resources for empowerment when aligned with cultural identity, community support, and personal determination.

Inclusion Criteria

You may take part if you:

• Graduated from a high school located on the Navajo Nation within the last five years
• Are an enrolled member or resident of the Navajo Nation
• Are at least 18 years old
• Used technology such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer during your high school years

You cannot take part if you are under 18, are currently in high school, or are not a member/resident of the Navajo Nation.

Demographic Questionnaire

After giving consent, participants will complete a short questionnaire (about 5–10 minutes). The questionnaire asks for basic information such as age, community of residence, language spoken at home, and whether you are a member of the Navajo Nation. This helps the researcher understand the background of participants while keeping responses confidential.

Go to Demographics