Grants Awarded

Grantee: Blue Lake Rancheria PR# S415200008 Project Name: Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Education Agency Career Readiness Education Program Absolute Priorities: 1 and 3 Tribe(s): Multiple Location: California Key Activities: Recruit/retain teachers; Work-based learning experiences Funding Amount: $121,413 This project is focused on the following two objectives: (1) to recruit, retrain, and retain educators employed by the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Education Agency (TEA) or by the partnering local education agency; and (2) the promotion of experiential learning experiences for secondary students. The TEA will not provide direct services to students with STEP grant funds. As part of achieving both priorities, the TEA will create two complimentary programs: (1) Recruit, Retrain & Retain Educators (R3E); and (2) Modern Youth Apprenticeship Academies (MYAA), keystone secondary-level programs under the Career Readiness Education Program offerings. Information on how potential beneficiaries of the Tribe’s Career Readiness Education programming may fully participate in the R3E or MYAA design and implementation process will be provided during and after grant implementation. Grantee: Knik Tribe PR# S415A200002 Project Name: Knik Tribe Education Agency Absolute Priorities: 1 and 3 Tribe(s): Knik Tribe Location: Alaska Key Activities: Recruit/retain teachers; Work-based learning experiences; Open a charter school Funding Amount: $357,778 Knik Tribe seeks to develop its Tribal Education Agency. The recent adoption of a code of ordinances establishing the Knik Tribal Educational Agency, and a memorandum of agreement with the state and local education agencies, puts the Tribe in an excellent position to serve our American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. The Tribe remains focused on improving educational opportunities for the AI/AN population by building capacity among teachers and staff to further operationalize our recently created work-based learning program framework and partnerships. The Tribe aims to increase the availability of work-based learning experiences by developing additional job shadowing opportunities and developing new career exploration opportunities such as pre-apprenticeships and internships in high-demand industry occupations for the secondary students we serve. Additionally, the Tribe is ready to develop a Tribally operated charter school. Knik Tribe will conduct administrative planning, development and coordination required to complete and submit the state’s first charter school application from a federally recognized Tribe. In the third year of the grant, the Tribe will open a new charter school with the goal of promoting culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogy to better address the academic aspirations and career and technical course opportunities of AI/AN students. Grantee: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe PR# S415200011 Project Name: MWT STEP Grant Application Absolute Priorities: 1 and 2 Tribe(s): Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Location: Massachusetts Key Activities: Recruit/retain teachers; Work-based learning experiences Funding Amount: $362,133 The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Education Agency (TEA), in partnership with the Mashpee School District (LEA) and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (SEA), seeks to significantly improve the academic achievement of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students through increased collaboration, capacity building and culturally responsive strategies. In meeting this objective, the TEA will collaborate with the LEA on the monitoring of selected SEA grant programs in Title I and Title II. Data-sharing agreements between the LEA and the TEA, with parent permission, will be a tool used to monitor the success of students and the impact of supplemental academic services offered by the TEA. Professional development opportunities designed to increase cultural competency of LEA and SEA staff will be delivered across the three-year project period, as will resources for improving student understanding of Native history and culture in the school district curriculum. The TEA will work toward expanding partnerships to offer more STEM-based internships and career building opportunities to Native students, along with supplemental academic support in reading and math, and afterschool programming to help students achieve their academic and postacademic goals. The TEA will also attend technical assistance opportunities offered by the LEA and SEA to build its own capacity to better serve students. Lastly, this project will fund two language professionals at the Mashpee Middle and High School to offer two additional Wôpanâak Language courses in all three years. Grantee: Virginia Tribal Education Consortium PR# S415200010 Project Name: Virginia STEP Capacity-Building Project Absolute Priorities: 1 and 3 Tribe(s): Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division, Monacan Indian Nation, Upper Mattaponi Tribe, Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Nansemond Indian Tribe, and the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc. Location: Virginia Key Activities: Recruit/retain teachers; Work-based learning experiences Funding Amount: $494,630 Virginia State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) Capacity-Building Project is being led by the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (VTEC), which includes all federally recognized tribes in Virginia serving as the Tribal Education Agency (TEA). The two goals of this three-year Virginia STEP Capacity-Building Project are to administer and coordinate education programs to (1) recruit/retain educators equipped to meet the needs of Virginia Native students, and (2) promote the availability of work-based learning experiences for Virginia Native students served by the TEA that align with in-demand industry sectors or occupations, without providing direct services. Notable outcomes of the Virginia STEP Capacity-Building Project will include (a) co-produced and supported facilitation for a suite of professional development materials to assist local education agencies (LEAs) in recruiting and retaining educators versed in Virginia Tribal languages, culture and history, particularly within the subject areas of history and social studies; (b) form and coordinate the activities of local collaboratives to develop work-based learning strategies and activities linked to statewide and national resources but designed and managed by the local collaboratives; (c) plan and provide materials and support for organized Tribal community and family engagement activities, provided in conjunction with their LEAs, to enhance efforts associated with educator recruitment and retention and work-based learning strategies and activities; and (d) design and demonstrate a replicable model to serve the educational interests of small, resource-poor Tribes aspiring to implement a TEA. Virginia STEP Capacity-Building Project performance measures are goal aligned.

Grantee: Blue Lake Rancheria Funding Amount: $208,616 Blue Lake Rancheria proposes to establishment of a Tribal Education Agency (TEA). Objective 1 of phase 3 is the establishment of a TEA, Board of Education (BOE), and an Education Code (hereafter “Code”). Project staff will contract with LEAs for training on the establishment a BOE, and Code. This will begin immediately, and a BOE will be elected during the Tribe’s general election in December. With the BOE established, policies and procedures for the implementation of educational programming to improve the academic achievement of Indian children and youth and codify them. Grantee: Chugachmiut Funding Amount: $449,742 Chugachmiut proposes to create a Tribal Education Agency (Chugachmiut Education Department) and work with current and future partners to support systemic change in the education of preschool through adult education programs serving Alaska Native/American Indian tribal members who are beneficiaries of Chugachmiut services. The proposed activities include a range of issues such as enhancing Self-Determination in education by improving the infrastructure of Chugachmiut to meet the educational needs of all tribal members; increasing Alaska Native/American Indian student achievement by continuing partnerships with four school districts and the Alaska Pacific University; promoting sustainability through community engagement; and developing new collaboration opportunities to support systemic change in the education of preschool and adult education programs that serve Alaska Native/American Indian tribal members who are beneficiaries of Chugachmiut services. Grantee: Knik Tribe Funding Amount: 273,546 Knik Tribe proposes to develop and operate an education agency to secure relationships with each of the 39 schools and developed curriculum to integrate culture into classrooms of all the core subjects, for elementary, middle school, and high school. Also proposed are developing Native educational code to guide Native education in Matsu and to provide the framework for addressing STEM/CTE hands-on education through implementing a robust after-school program for youth and parents. Grantee: Tribal Education Departments National Assembly (TEDNA) Funding Amount: $530,248 Tribal Education Departments National Assembly (TEDNA) proposes to stablish and build the capacity of the Virginia Tribal Consortium consisting of five federally-recognized Tribes in Virginia that do not have a Tribal Education Agency (TEA): Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division, Monacan Indian Nation, Pamunkey Indian Tribe, and the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe. TEDNA proposes to serve as the Tribal Education Agency for the member Tribes, promote Tribal self-determination in education among Tribes in Virginia, improve the academic achievement of Indian children and youth, and promote the coordination and collaboration of participating Tribes with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), and other entities. TEDNA proposes to manage the Virginia STEP Project and provide expertise on the formation and operation of a Tribal Education Agency (TEA) in partnership with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and the Academic Development Institute (ADI) by providing key initiatives that include: TEA Governance Training, TEA Management Training, Virginia Tribal Consortium Outreach Seminar, Virginia Education Resources Training, Strategic Performance Management (SPM) Training, Educating Native Youth for Success, and Tribal Sovereignty and Education Code Training. The project will also produce a Virginia Tribal Consortium Guidebook and Virginia Tribal Consortium Website. Grantee: Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Funding Amount: $115,080 Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska proposes to develop a Tribal Education Agency (TEA) to improve education needs for children and youth (PreK-12) who attend school within the boundaries of the Winnebago Indian Reservation. The goals are to promote tribal self-determination in education; improve academic achievement of Indian children and youth; promote the coordination and collaboration of Tribal Education Agencies (TEAs) with State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs); and meet the unique educational culturally related academic needs of Indian students. The Project has one objective: To formulate and develop the Winnebago Tribal Education Agency, enhance collaboration with Local Education Agencies, and the State Education Agencies (SEAs) within a 12-month period.