This 3.5 day Judicial College course  will be held September 10 – 13, 2024 in Cherokee, NC. The course provides a small group of district court judges the opportunity to travel to Cherokee, NC to learn about (1) the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and its application in abuse, neglect, dependency and termination of parental rights (TPR) actions in North Carolina and (2) Cherokee culture and how the tribe addresses abuse, neglect, dependency, and TPR cases for their children. Participants will observe a juvenile tribal court session and will visit landmark sites including the New Kituwah Academy and the Museum of the Cherokee People. The course starts and ends with a group dinner, provided by the North Carolina Judicial College. Participants should plan to be out of their offices for 4 days to accommodate their need to travel to and from Cherokee. The course is an elective for advanced child welfare certification.

Participants are required to attend the course in its entirety. 

Course Location: This course will be held in-person at a hotel in Cherokee, North Carolina. Some sessions will require travel to various sites in Cherokee, NC. Participants will need to provide transportation for site visits within Cherokee. The longest drive time is 10 minutes from the hotel with a maximum travel time of 25 minutes a day. We encourage you to carpool with one another and will provide contact information for those interested in carpooling.

Who may attend:  This course is open to District Court Judges.

The application deadline is July 12. Applicants will be notified by July 17.