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# U.S. Department of Education Awards $10 Million in Projects to Train and Recruit Qualified Native American Educators

# U.S. Department of Education Awards $10 Million in Projects to Train and Recruit Qualified Native American Educators

August 3, 2021

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
Today,  the U.S. Department of Education awarded 29 grants totaling $10  million through the Indian Education Professional Development (PD)  program. These grants to colleges and universities throughout  the nation, including tribal colleges and  universities, address a significant gap in the number  of qualified Native American (Native) individuals in  education-related professions that serve Native students. 

“Representation  matters. All students deserve the opportunity to be taught by educators who are  diverse and who reflect their backgrounds and experiences—and we know that far  too few Native American students have the chance to engage with  Native American teachers in their schools and as education leaders and mentors  in their communities. That must change,” said U.S. Secretary of Education  Miguel Cardona. “I am heartened that this program will help to create a more  diverse educator workforce for students across the country and support efforts  to recruit and retain more talented Native American teachers and administrators  for our schools.”          Each  project addresses unique conditions for Native students to have equitable  access to well-prepared educators and a more diverse teacher and administrator  workforce. Projects help develop and implement initiatives to prepare  and retain Native teachers and administrators, with an emphasis  on training and professional development that addresses the unique academic and  cultural needs of Native students. These grants increase professional  development for teachers and administrators to support their efforts  to design and implement initiatives that  help low-achieving Native students improve their academic  achievement, outcomes, and preparation for postsecondary education or  employment.  

Allowable  activities under this program empower Institutions of Higher  Education (IHEs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), Indian Tribes or  Organizations, and State Education Agencies (SEAs) to: 
- Increase the number of       qualified Native individuals in professions that serve in       school districts, including charter and Bureau of Indian Education       schools, that have a high proportion of Native students;
- Provide pre- and in-service       training and support to qualified Native individuals to become       effective teachers or education administrators;
- Improve the skills of       qualified Native individuals who serve in the education field;       and
- Develop and       implement two-year induction services initiatives to promote       retention of effective Native teachers, principals, and school       leaders who have a record of success in helping       low-achieving Native students improve their academic       achievement, outcomes, and preparation for postsecondary education or       employment.  

The Elementary  and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was  amended in 1974 to provide the then-U.S. Commissioner of  Education the ability to make special grants “with institutions of higher  education, Indian organizations, and Indian tribes for the purpose of preparing  individuals for teaching or administering special programs and projects  designed to meet the special educational needs of Indian children and to  provide in-service training for persons teaching in such programs.” This  amendment recognized the importance of increasing the number of qualified  Native individuals available to teach Native children. To date, the PD  program has remained in effect benefiting over 1,700 pre-service  individuals since 2013.  

More information about this program can be found at: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-indian-education/indian-education-professional-development/. Below is a list of the new PD awards listed by  state, name of grantee, and award amount for FY 2021.  
**State** 
**FY 2021 Grantee** 

**Award Amount** 

Arizona 

Arizona Board of Regents    (ABOR) for and on behalf of Northern Arizona University 

 $385,437  

Arizona 

Arizona Board of Regents    (ABOR) on behalf of Arizona State University 

 $399,785  

Arizona 

Arizona Board of Regents    (ABOR) on behalf of University of Arizona 

 $399,620  

California 

Tzicatl Community    Development Corporation 

 $398,457  

California 

Claremont Graduate University 

 $318,218  

California 

Blue Lake Rancheria 

 $342,656  

Idaho 

Regents of the University of    Idaho 

 $300,436  

Minnesota 

St. Cloud State University 

 $363,599  

Montana 

Little Big Horn College 

 $396,309  

Montana 

Blackfeet Community College 

 $399,550  

Montana 

Salish Kootenai College 

 $394,284  

Montana 

Fort Peck Community College 

 $395,097  

Montana 

Stone Child College 

 $389,790  

Nebraska 

Board of Regents, Univ of    Nebraska, Univ Nebraska-Lincoln 

 $98,209  

North Carolina 

University of North Carolina    at Pembroke 

 $311,201  

North Dakota 

Turtle Mountain Community    College 

 $364,628  

North Dakota 

Sitting Bull College 

 $373,715  

North Dakota 

University of Mary 

 $400,000  

North Dakota 

University of North Dakota 

 $400,000  

North Dakota 

University of Mary 

 $400,000 

Oklahoma 

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma 

 $293,452 

Oklahoma 

American Indian Resource    Center, Inc. 

 $399,985 

Oklahoma 

American Indian Resource    Center, Inc. 

 $398,321  

Oregon 

University of Oregon 

 $399,993  

Oregon 

Portland State University 

 $317,625  

South Dakota 

Oglala Lakota College  

 $400,000  

South Dakota 

Oglala Lakota College 

 $342,639  

Wisconsin 

Board of Regents of University    of Wisconsin System for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

 $300,068  

Wisconsin 

Board of Regents of the    University of Wisconsin System on behalf of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

 $98,746  
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