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# Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $11 Million to Preserve Native Languages, Increase Native Teacher Retention, and Support Tribal Educational Agencies

# Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $11 Million to Preserve Native Languages, Increase Native Teacher Retention, and Support Tribal Educational Agencies

October 17, 2023

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The U.S.  Department of Education (Department) today announced new awards totaling more  than $11 million for the new Native American Language Resource Centers (NALRC)  program, the first-ever Native American Teacher Retention  Initiative (NATRI) program, and the State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) program. Together, these awards seek to strengthen the  vitality of Native American languages in schools, support Native American  teachers, and ensure Tribal Educational Agencies can coordinate grant resources  alongside state and local partners.

“Our  efforts to Raise the Bar for academic achievement and support multilingual  learners in tribal communities must include strengthening and revitalizing  Native languages, and supporting the recruitment, retention, leadership,  and empowerment of Native American educators,” said U.S. Secretary of Education  Miguel Cardona. “These grant funds will provide Native American students with  greater opportunities to learn in inclusive environments that uplift their  cultures, revitalize their languages, and ultimately, promote their academic  success and wellbeing. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring  Native American students have access to an inclusive and culturally affirming  education that’s also reflected in the teachers in their schools.”

The NALRC program  will support the preservation and use of Native American languages in  classrooms across the country. This funding will be dedicated to centers across  three geographic regions—Central, Northwest, and West—as well as a national  center to provide support to all states and regional center grantees. The  centers will provide technical assistance for resource development,  dissemination of research, leadership development, capacity-building services,  and immersive, interactive learning experiences.

The U.S. Commission  on Civil Rights “Broken Promises” report found there is a lack of  educational opportunity for Native American students, including access to  culturally competent teachers in Indian Country. In a first-ever program of its  kind, NATRI will help address the shortage of Native American  educators and promote retention by creating opportunities for Native teachers  to serve in leadership roles in their schools. Grantees proposed projects that  help educators of Native American students better provide culturally  appropriate and effective instruction and support for Native American students  such as creating professional learning communities, leadership roles for  educators, accessible networks to expertise, Native teacher leadership models, mentoring  programs, development taskforces, and continuing education credits throughout  multiple states impacting dozens of Tribal Nations.

Finally,  the Department awarded $1.6 million to support the STEP program. STEP grants  support projects that strengthen Tribal self-determination and promote  coordination and collaboration among tribal, state, and local educational  agencies to meet the unique needs of Native students. Funded projects include  supporting cross-agency data sharing agreements; culturally responsive Native  American student identification; and facilitating systemic change focus areas  related to college readiness, workforce development, and family  engagement.

**The  NALRC grantees are listed below:**

 

**Grantee**

**States    Served**

**Award    Type**

**Award    amount**

Little    Priest Tribal College

Nebraska,    South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado

Regional    Center (Central)

$349,945

University    of Oregon

Alaska,    Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

Regional    Center (Northwest)

$349,567

University    of Arizona

Arizona,    California, Nevada, and Utah

Regional    Center (West)

$342,667

University    of Hawaii

All    States

National    Center

$1,244,    880

 

**The  NATRI grantees are listed below:**

 

**Grantee**

**Location**

**Award    Amount**

Stone    Child College

Montana

$ 424,752

National    Indian Education Association

District    of Columbia

$    150,251

Goldbelt    Heritage Foundation

Alaska

$    418,792

Little    Wound School Board, Inc.

South    Dakota

$    244,592

American    Indian Resource Center, Inc.

Oklahoma

$    451,000

Sitting    Bull College

North    Dakota

$    430,447

Arlee    Joint School District #8

Montana

$    382,151

Mashpee    Wampanoag Tribe

Massachusetts

$    469,411

Pala    Band of Mission Indians

California

$    601,225

Cook    Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.

Alaska

$    500,000

American    Indian Science and Engineering Society

New    Mexico

$    134,423

Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle    School Board of Education, Inc.

New    Mexico

$    488,229

Cherokee    Nation

Oklahoma

$    392,514

Lac    Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University

Wisconsin

$    445,467

Yukon-Koyukuk    School District

Alaska

$    448,880

Osage    County Interlocal Cooperative

Oklahoma

$    210,465

 

 **The  STEP grantees are listed below:**

 

**Grantee**

**Location**

**Award    Amount**

Nez    Perce Tribe

Idaho

$    466,388

Sac    & Fox Nation of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

$    502,510

Red    Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

Wisconsin

$    500,000

Chugachmiut

Alaska

$    210,065
   -  Tags: Native American Language Resource Centers (NALRC)State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP)Press Releases
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