Sommer Drake

Sommer Drake is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and serves as the PI and Program Coordinator for the Office of Indian Education Professional Development Grants at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). She supports students pursuing Teaching and Administrative Leadership degrees, with a focus on Indigenous education, and has experience as an elementary public school teacher. At UWM, she also works as a Grants & Students Services Manager and as an adjunct instructor in the American Indian and First Nations Studies department.

• B.S. in Psychology and Education from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• M.A. in Teacher Leadership from University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Doctoral candidate in First Nations Education at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Drake’s research interests include Indigenous Pedagogy and Education, Curriculum Development, and Indigenous Leadership and Teacher Education. Her work emphasizes culturally responsive practices and the integration of Indigenous knowledge into modern educational frameworks. She actively supports the Leaders and Teachers from the Good Land scholarship program, which aids Indigenous students in teaching and leadership fields.

As an adjunct instructor, she has mentored preservice teachers in the Early Childhood Department at UWM and students in American Indian and First Nations Studies. Her tribal affiliation with the Oneida Nation informs her approach to education and community engagement. Currently, she is completing her doctoral studies while maintaining her service roles in Indigenous education initiatives.