The Biden administration recently awarded over $11 million to the new Native American Language Resource Centers program and the Native American Teacher Retention Initiative. In an announcement by the U.S. Department of Education, the programs aim to support educational opportunities for Native American students and educators.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the vitality of the awards, promoting better opportunities for Native American students in tribal academic environments.
“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 well-being,” Cardona said.
In a press release by the department, the NALRC program is described as supporting the preservation of Native American languages in classrooms across the nation. It will dedicate funds and educational centers to the Central, Northwest and West regions of the U.S.
“The centers will provide technical assistance for resource development, dissemination of research, leadership development, capacity-building services, and immersive, interactive learning experiences,” detailed Tuesday’s announcement.
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The department emphasized in the press release that the NATRI program will address the widespread shortage of Native American educators, aiming to provide resources for educators in their communities.
“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,” stated the press release.
In addition, the department announced an award of $1.6 million toward the STEP program, which strives to support collaboration among tribal and educational agencies in order to meet the needs of Native American students.
STEP has funded projects that include supporting cross-agency data-sharing agreements and facilitating systemic change focus areas tied to college readiness. The awards announced by the department aim to ensure that Tribal Educational Agencies can coordinate grant resources alongside local and state partners.
