FY 2017 Awards

 

2017 Demonstration Grants

 

2017 NATIVE YOUTH COMMUNITY PROJECTS

1. Alaska Gateway School District (AK) $954,977 S299A170053 (PDF, 21MB) Alaska Gateway School District and its district, tribal government and tribal organization partners will implement Project RAVE (Rural Alaska Village Entrepreneurs). Tribal partners include the Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Mentasta Traditional Council, the Native Village of Tanacross, the Native Village of Tetlin, the Northway Native Association and the Tok Native Association. The Project RAVE goals include: reducing the drop-out rate; increasing the number of students who are ready for and who attend post-secondary school; and who ultimately find local gainful employment or create their own opportunities. The majority of the career pathway courses will be delivered through blended online courses, which will be merged into the traditional classroom setting.

2. Pala Band of Mission Indians (CA) $234,537 S299A170103 (PDF, 14MB) The Pala Band of Mission Indians proposes the Pala Little Feathers program. Three goals form the overarching basis of program objectives and activities: 1) School Readiness, where all children will start school ready to learn including  a continuous and articulated center-based program will serve  preschool-aged children, while a summer school transition component will assist in preparing preschoolers for kindergarten enrollment; 2) Parent Education and Involvement – The program will find ways to involve parents in their child’s education, resulting in their active participation in their child’s progress and being a strong advocate for the child, and 3) Teacher Education and Professional Development – Staff will have access to programs for the continued improvement of professional skills.

3.  Lummi Nation (WA) $254,191 S299A170044 (PDF, 14MB) The Lummi Nation proposes the Lummi Marine Trades Native Youth Community Project (LMTNYCP). The purpose of the project is to build and establish a Career and Technical Education Program at Lummi Nation School that will focus on preparing students for college or a career in the marine industries- fishing, crabbing, marine engine building and boat maintenance, boat building, marine sciences and natural resources. Project goals include: 1. Increased student attendance; 2. Improved student engagement; 3. Increase in grade point average; 4. Increased family and community involvement via project-based learning projects and a Marine Trades Project.

4. Muscogee (Creek) Nation (OK) $523,506 S299A170062 (PDF, 35MB) The overarching goal of the project is to provide college and career readiness afterschool programming opportunities for youth within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) boundaries by the MCN Native Youth Community Project (NYCP) staff and build relationships among students, families and LEAs. Goals include: 1) All participating students will improve student achievement in core academic areas through career development strategies; 2) All participating students will show an increase in student attendance and graduation from high school utilizing a Native American designed career plan; 3) All participating students will see an increase in CC&R skills guiding them along the path of self-discovery while exploring careers and creating an individualized career plan; 4) MCN NYCP will collaborate with the Native American community to enhance academic support, educational enrichment and support services to ensure academic and career goal success; and 5) MCN NYCP will collaborate with schools and community to provide sustainable programs.

5. Ketchikan Indian Corporation (AK) $250,042 S299A170035 (PDF, 17MB) Ketchikan Indian Community proposes the Focused Pathways Program (FPP) for up to 550 Southeast Alaska Native high school aged students. The purpose of Focused Pathways is to provide a strong “community-centric” learning environment in which student/teacher time is controlled by learning and not specified time periods within the normal educational day, freeing up student schedules for college credit courses and career and technical courses that lead to an industry credential. Goals include: 1) Increase the number of Southeast Alaska Native students who enroll in a two or four year college with at least nine college credits already completed prior to enrollment; 2) Increase the amount of completed career and technical education (CTE) courses that lead to industry recognized credentials for Southeast Alaska Native students; and 3) Increase the opportunity for Southeast Alaska Native students to access and engage in culturally meaningful educational content and local career exploration.

6. Terrebonne Parish School Board (LA) $796,914 S299A170056 (PDF, 22MB) Terrebonne Parish School Board proposes the project On Travaille Ensemble, in collaborations with United Houma Nation, the Point-Au-Chien Indian Tribe, the Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogee Indians, the Louisiana Indian Education Association, Fletcher Technical Community College, Nicholls State University and the Houma-Terrebone Chamber of Commerce. The goal of the project is to improve the college and career readiness of American Indian students. The program has three objectives: 1) improve the academic behavior of the participating middle school students; 2) increase the number of Indian students who become successfully enter 9th grade for the first time; and 3) increase community involvement efforts that promote the college and career readiness of Indian children. Community strategies shall include partners and tribes working together to provide mentors, meetings spaces and wisdom and knowledge to participants.

7. Cook Inlet Tribal Council (AK) $996,568 S299A170080 (PDF, 22MB) Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) proposes Foundations – Parent Partnerships for Student Success, a comprehensive, community-driven program implementing multiple strategies to improve the college and career readiness of Alaska Native and American Indian students. Foundations will address persistent roots of the academic achievement and outcomes gap through: a) direct STEM, literacy and social-emotional learning education and skill-building interventions in Anchorage School District (ASD) 3rd-5th grade classrooms; b) improving school climates and infusing Alaska Native cultural knowledge into ASD elementary schools; c) shifting the relationship between Alaska Native students’ families and their schools to one of informed advocacy; and d) provide student and family advocacy services and referrals for supportive services.

8. Hoonah City Schools (AK) $642,532 S299A170078 (PDF, 23MB) Hoonah City Schools (HCS) proposes the Lingit Tundata’ani, a comprehensive program comprised of academic supports and college readiness programming to support the Huna Lingit community.  Primary project strategies include: 1) providing, structured, targeted, Tlingit Language-infused academic and cultural support activities; 2) professional development and training for HCS teachers such that they may infuse Native Culture into classroom teaching; 3) monthly in-class Tlingit Cultural activities; 4) working at KHOO Radio Station, where students will have the opportunity to present live broadcasts on topics of importance to them; 5) vocational career training educational and learning opportunities in multiple pathways; 6) off-site college campus and vocational training-focused visits; 7) peer mentoring; 8) positive, culturally similar adult role models (Aunties and Uncles); 8) culturally-focused monthly family engagement activities; and 9) creation of individual student success portfolios.  Project objectives include: 1) increase the percentage of students achieving proficiency on Alaska standards based assessment in math, writing and science by 20% over 2015 baseline; 2) annually, at least 8 students will complete Native woodcarving coursework; 3) annually, at least 13 students will meet the requirements for certification in one of the designated health career pathways; and 4) decrease by 3% annually the number of HCS graduates required to take remedial college courses in math or science.

9. Four Winds of Indian Education (CA) $644,695 S299A170013 (PDF, 23MB) Project NeeSimPom—a  partnership among Four Winds of Indian Education, Mechoopda Indian Tribe and Grindstone Indian Rancheria—proposes a comprehensive, community-wide approach to help K-12 grade students become college and career-ready. The project’s purpose is to improve educational outcomes and college and career readiness Native American students from a wide range of tribes including: Mechoopda, Pit River, Pomo, Wailaki, Wintun, Nomolaki, Cherokee, Chippewa, Klamath and Sioux.. Expected outcomes include: 1) the integration of Native culture into the No Excuses University program and all project activities; 2) students graduating from high school ready to pursue college and career; and 3) increased collaboration among partners resulting in improvement in home-school relations and increased school attendance.  Project objectives include cultural adaptation and implementation of No Excuses University and Miss School/Miss Out; cultural sensitivity training for school staff; career guidance and curriculum adaptation, summer bridge program and summer employment programs for students.

10. Milwaukee Public Schools (WI) $535,524 S299A170028 (PDF, 16MB) The proposed Milwaukee Public Schools First Nations College Access (FNCA)project, in partnership with Southeastern Oneida Tribal Services, will provide college preparatory support to improve secondary school First Nations students’ knowledge and skills to help approximately 400 students transition successfully to postsecondary education. The proposed project will provide: 1) tutoring and academic enrichment in science and mathematics; 2) culturally responsive curriculum to support improved identity formation, confidence, aspirations, progress monitoring, problem solving and self-advocacy; 3) coordinated opportunities for career and college exploration; and 4) meaningful engagement of parents and families. Four project goals are: 80% of participating students will report increased readiness for college/careers as measured by a pre-post survey of the Expanding the Circle Curriculum; increase on-time graduation rate of First Nations students from 65% to 75%; increase enrollment of students in challenging core courses in math and science by ten percentage points each year; and increase on-time enrollment of students in colleges/universities by more than 15%.

11. College of the Menominee Nation (WI) $200,148 S299A170076 (PDF, 29MB) The College of the Menominee Nation will implement the Sustainability Leadership Cohort (SLC)program to develop college and career readiness and leadership skills through engagement with a focus on STEM activities.  The SLC program constitutes a year-long effort to support Menominee and other Native youth-participants holistically to build college and career skills and abilities and to support their development into the next generation of tribal leaders, managers and scientists.  The program utilizes students’ ecological background as a bridge to STEM academics, while also recognizing that the youth need support to connect their culture and language to STEM+CL (Culture & Language) learning.

12. Yavapai-Apache Nation (AZ) $261,950 S299A170064 (PDF, 22MB) Yavapai-Apache Nature School (YANS) is a community-led, culturally based wilderness program for 3rd -9th grade students, their families and the community.  The goal of YANS is to increase scholastic success and to promote college and/or career readiness by directly addressing the root causes of truancy and school dropout, including self-destructive behaviors, substance abuse and impulsivity.  Outcomes to be measured include: Measurable outcomes of the grant are interrelated and include 1) increase in children and youth’s sense of self; 2) increase in children and youth’s sense of place; 3) decrease in self-destructive behaviors; 4) increase in high school graduation rates and/or GED completion; 5) increase in college and career readiness; 6) increase in parental involvement with the school system; and 7) increase in parental involvement with cultural and outdoor activities.

13. Chugach School District (AK) $688,154 S299A170007 (PDF, 21MB) The purpose of the Cultural Heritage Improving Learning and Development (CHILD) project is to prepare 90 preschool students to succeed in kindergarten, ensure culture identity is the foundation of early learning experiences and provide formal professional development opportunities.  The measurable objectives include: increase in student achievement on early learning assessments; increase student achievement on literacy, math, personal/social skills, Alutiiq and Sugt’stun preschool performance assessments; increase school readiness scores on the Alaska Developmental Profile; increase class libraries of Alaska Native children’s literature; and increase teacher proficiency on the Promoting Cultural and Linguistic Competency Self-Assessment for Preschool Teachers. The CHILD project consortium includes one regional Alaska Native non-profit organization, Chugachmiut, and seven community Alaska Native tribal organizations – Native Village of Tatitlek IRA Council, Native Village of Chenega Bay IRA Council, Naknek Native Village Council, South Naknek Village Council, Igiugig Village Council, Nondalton Village Council, and Native Village of King Salmon Tribal Council.

14. Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan (MI) $185,785 S299A170095 (PDF, 43MB) The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT) of Michigan will be using the Niijkewehn Mentoring Program (NMP), a collaborative mentoring effort to enhance college and career readiness for Native American youth.  Objectives of the Niijkewehn Mentoring Program include: 1) Implement plans for stabilization and restructuring of NMP while sustaining service capacity to ensure continued preparedness for students to be college and career ready; 2) enhance the capacity of the SCIT to increase college and career readiness among youth through participation in the NMP as evidenced by a decrease in high school dropout rates,  increase in high school graduation rates and improve school attendance among program participants by 25%; 3) and by the end of the grant, achieve alcohol and drug-free lifestyles by all participants.

15. Hydaburg City School District (AK) $219,429 S299A170061 (PDF, 17MB) Hydaburg City School District, in partnership with the Hydaburg Cooperative Association, will implement Project Build to serve students from the Haida native community.  The goal of Project Build is to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve the educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary and secondary Alaska Native students. The program has four objectives: 1) Ensure students are grounded in their unique identity and prepared for postsecondary opportunities; 2) Engage students in school through place-based learning resulting in a commitment to lifelong learning; 3) Collaborate among families, community and schools to effectively support student post-secondary opportunities; and 4) Give students supports and pathways to pursue post-secondary opportunities.

16. Devils Lake Public School District (ND) $232,986 S299A170039 (PDF, 28MB) Devils Lake Public School District, in partnership with Spirit Lake Tribe, will implement the  Spirit Lake Native Youth Community Project. The goal of this project is to ensure that 100% of Tate Topa Tribal School and Warwick Public School students are college and career ready by the end of the grant as measured by the ACT.  Annual objectives to be measured include increases in knowledge of college/career key considerations (by students and family members), academic confidence (by students) and implementation of effective practices (by educators).  Outcomes will be measured according to results produced annually from matched, pre/post perception surveys, retrospective surveys, classroom observation rubrics and interim indicators categorized according to persons involved and activity implementation and outcome data.

17. Yurok Tribe (CA) $579,504 S299A170019 (PDF, 22MB) The Yurok Tribe proposes the program “Success in Both Worlds Demonstration Project”.  The project has four overall goals: 1) Increase college and career readiness of the target population; 2) Increase the academic achievement rate in the core academic courses; 3) Increase the percentage of students transitioning to higher education, colleges and universities; and 4) To provide a college and career readiness program that connects students with their career opportunities.  Finally, they will strengthen student support networks by expanding professional development, offering parent programs and sustaining community partnerships.

18. Nevada Department of Education (NV) $761,006 S299A170030 (PDF, 17MB) To promote and prepare American Indian students who are ready for college and career, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) created a program that will be three-fold: Engage 7-12th grade students with intensive counseling engage their parents and families through community instructors and engage tribal communities through outreach events.  This project will use College and Career Coaches to individually advise students, Community Based Instructors who will be housed with the tribes and will perform community presentations based on individual community needs.  Key personnel will help implement curriculum in the mainstream school that is culturally relevant to NDE AI students.  There will be a six-week intensive summer school program for credit recovery, college field trips (both in state and out-of-state) and a statewide youth conference twice a year.  The goal is that these programs and events will lead to increased enrollment of Advanced Placement courses, increased applications to college and trade schools immediately after graduation and increased grade point averages.  The NDE will serve as Project Director and will work with the Yerington Paiute Tribe, the Walker River Paiute Tribe, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, the Lyon County School District, Humboldt County School District, Walker River Paiute Tribe Education Department, Yerington Paiute Tribe Education Department, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe Education Department, Yerington Intermediate School, Yerington High School, and McDermitt Combined School.

19. Navajo Preparatory School (NM) $705,017 S299A170050 (PDF, 18MB) Navajo Preparatory School proposes Diné Soaring: Local to Global.  The purpose and expected outcomes include: a) Develop a comprehensive 9-12th grade curriculum and instruction aligned to the IBDP, Common Core and Diné Educational Standards; b) Implement rigorous assessment aligned with the assessment philosophy and procedures of the IBDP, State and Navajo Education Standards; c) Strengthen college and career readiness skills for students; d) Promote a Digital-Age Learning Culture aligned to the International Standards in Technology Education; e) Promote and preserve the Navajo Culture and Navajo Language Curriculum; and f) Provide extensive and relevant professional development opportunities for instructional staff. Objectives include: a) Aligning school-wide curriculum for 9th-12th and instructional teaching with IBDP, Common Core and Diné Education Standards; b) Implement rigorous assessments through developing school-wide rubric for evaluation; c) Strengthen college and career readiness skills through summer ACT camp and ACT preparation; d) Promote a digital-age learning culture; e) Promote and preserve Navajo culture and language through advanced coursework and curriculum; and f) Provide extensive and professional teacher development opportunities as required by International Baccalaureate professional development standards.

20. Lapwai School District #341 (ID) $282,958 S299A170026 (PDF, 20MB) The Lapwai School District program, in partnership with the Nez Perce Tribe, will provide exposure to career awareness and co-op work experience, including more preparation for college or professional-technical training, to enhance the whole child’s education and provide culturally responsive care programs to develop positive human relations, self-discipline, good citizenship, self-esteem and success.  Project outcomes include: completion of dual credit courses, increased academic performance, increased career awareness and work skills and increased cultural knowledge and pride.  Objectives are: implementing ACT’s College and Career Readiness Solutions, review of student scores, development of a student portfolio, implementation of supplemental student services and computer assisted learning, dual credit enrollment and an increase in culturally responsive. Project goals include: providing school based individual/group counseling interventions, establishing a system of review/referral to respond promptly to more intensive student problems, providing in-service training/support to teachers/staff providing information to parents of targeted students and improving student achievement.

21. Kuspuk School District (AK) $894,069 S299A170042 (PDF, 22MB) The Central Yup’ik College & Career Readiness (CCR) Project will take a 360° comprehensive approach in providing hands-on CCR learning opportunities for Jr. High and High School students to attain the skill to become college and career ready.  There are five overarching goals: 1)Develop and implement a teacher-mentor program to increase rural educators’ capacity to support students in developing CCR skills; 2) Design a framework for sustained community collaborations to promote CCR skills in Central Yup’ik students; 3) Facilitate communication between high school students and post-secondary programs to develop culturally relevant entrance process; 4) Provide access to EXCEL CCR Foundational Sessions for secondary students and Summer XL Bridging Camp; and 5) Increase CCR indicators and performance among Central Yup’ik students in targeted region. This project is supported by a partnership comprised of the following entities: The Kuskokwim Corporation/Kuskokwim Educational Foundation; Aniak Traditional Council, Village of Kalskag; Kuspuk School District, Lower Yukon School District; the nonprofit education organization EXCEL Alaska, Inc.; Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) and the Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC).

22. Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (AK) $721,331 S299A170002 (PDF, 23MB) The Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) and its partners—the Yukon Flats School District, Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa, and the Yukon Flats Center—propose to develop and implement Yeendaa Geenjit Shrideegwirilii – We Prepare for the Future. The project goal is to increase postsecondary education and employment readiness opportunities for youth in the Yukon Flats by providing activities to integrate traditional values and language into the K-12 educational experience.  Their program proposes to lift up at risk students and young adults while creating a K-12 educational environment using the Understanding By Design model.  Outcomes include: an education system built on the native culture; a system that enhances and values life in the Yukon Flats; and, a system that prepares the next generation to make the changes they want to make but to build on what came before.  Their objectives are to: 1) Ensure 30 cohort students will have participated in strategies to obtain their GED or high school diploma; 2) Engaged 30 cohort students in career and technical education intensives, and 30 middle school students in STEM exploration sessions; 3)  Allow16 high school students to take a media journalism class that culminates with participation in the Searider Productions summer media camp in Waianae, Hawaii; and 4) support certificated teachers and the Yukon Flats Indigenous Language Revitalization Institute participants to develop and pilot courses for inclusion in the K-12 academic system based on the existing Gwich’in Learning Framework and the Understanding by Design curriculum development model.

23. The American Indian Resource Center (OK) $896,428 S299A170020 (PDF, 16MB) The American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), in partnership with the Cherokee Nation, the Cherokee Nation Foundation, Kenwood Public Schools and Nowata Public Schools,will implement the Sevenstar Project.  The project will support a comprehensive approach to meet the need of career and college readiness of students in 40 schools by using evidenced based curriculum and proven program designs.  Strategies that will be used include cultural identification, academic enrichment; STEM programming, Virtual Learning, standardized test strategies and financial literacy education.   Objectives include having all students participating in academic enrichment, STEM and virtual learning with an outcome of increases in academic subject letter grade performance.

24. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (ND) $304,466 S299A170025 (PDF, 18MB) The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe proposes to establish a 3-year strategic plan for a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring program to provide more resources to the K-12 system to enhance efforts with the Lakota/Dakota culture and language.  The main purpose of the program is to focus efforts so that all students are prepared for post-secondary college and careers.  The program has two goals: 1) Increase the students’ academic performance and the graduation rate through interaction between the student and a peer mentor with activities designed to aid their academic and emotional development; and, 2) Enhance and support the cultural competencies of the schools through the provision of technical assistance enabling these entities to acquire knowledge of, and increase capability in, the Dakota/Lakota culture and language.

25. Yukon Koyukuk School District (AK) $748,613 S299A170046 (PDF, 14MB) The Yukon-Koyukuk School District (YKSD) in partnership with the Tanana Chiefs Conference proposes the Starting Strong project designed to improve the college and career readiness of Alaska Native and American Indian students in nine rural Alaska Native communities in the Yukon-Koyukuk School District.  Project objectives include the following: 1) YKSD children will have access to effective pre-K to third grade multi-age classrooms; 2) All parents of YKSD pre-K to third grade students will be actively participate in their child’s education; and 3) All YKSD children will receive the nutrition, physical activity and health care necessary to be prepare.