The Johnson-O’Malley (JOM) program (a federal education grant) was first federally funded in 1936 to provide additional academic support for Indian students. Over the past several years, federal funding has been greatly reduced. However, in keeping with the Johnson-O’Malley ideal, the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians has continued to provide quality academic support to students grades K–12. The J.O.M. program is overseen by the Pauma Education Committee, which is made up of community members and parents. Additionally, the J.O.M. Director along with qualified tutorial support staff members provide a high-quality after school program for tribal youth.

• Partnerships with local schools. J.O.M. is an official academic intervention site for Kindergarten through 8th grade students. • Organic tribal garden. Students learn about healthy lifestyles by taking part in the creation and maintenance of our tribal garden. • Academic support and homework assistance provided in a daily tutorial setting. • Explorers’ Club is open to students Kindergarten through 3rd grade and addresses State Science Standards in monthly hikes and projects with a real scientist! • Luiseño Language Integration. J.O.M students are explicitly instructed in traditional Luiseño material culture twice a month. Students are exposed daily to the Luiseño language through various activities. Quarterly benchmark assessments are administered and incentive field trips are planned to reward student effort. • Pauma Library provides J.O.M. students with access to literature, a full computer lab, and additional math tutorial support. • Our affiliation with Inter Tribal Sports Inc. provides opportunities to develop skills and sportsmanship through organized team sports.

What Our Kids Say

“What J.O.M does is it helps me more in my education.  I like going on the computer and culture class.”

“I like playing soccer outside. I like our art projects and Explorers’ Club because we get to explore the reservation. My favorite snack is yogurt and oranges.”

“J.O.M. is a great place to study your homework and get it done. We can play outside and we have bathroom passes. We can play on the computer when we are all done but first you do arts and crafts.”

“My favorite thing to do is outside play and computer lab because they each have something fun to do. That is why I like them. I really love to play sports.”

“At J.O.M. there are lots of things to do. First you have to do something that is educational. Then you can do computers or a puzzle, or other activities. On the computers you have to do 15 minutes of reading or math comprehension. Attending Pauma J.O.M. helped me with reading. I used to not remember what I was reading but now I do. Pauma J.O.M. helps me with my homework. I hated math because I didn’t know my times tables, but now, because of J.O.M., I’m a math master.”

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