Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Alaska Native Education (ANE) Program

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Alaska Native Education (ANE) Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education. This program supports projects designed to address the unique educational needs of Alaska Native students. While directly targeting Alaska, state education departments with relevant student populations or partnerships could potentially explore this.

Alaska Native Education | U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) Alaska Native Education Program Team Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) State Educational Agencies (SEAs) Eligibility and Funding Status Legislation, Regulations and Guidance In Fiscal Year 2025, the Alaska Native Education (ANE) program awarded 17 new grants by funding down the slate using eligible, high scoring applications from the FY2024 competition, totaling $27,473,012.

To learn more about the FY 2024 grant competition and eligibility, please review the Notice Inviting Applications, available here. These grants will support supplemental educational programs that recognize and address the unique educational needs of Alaska Natives. Please visit the ANE Awards tab for abstracts and information on the funded projects.

The regulator revisions to 2 CFR Part 200, commonly referred to as the Uniform Guidance , became effective on October 1, 2024. For 2024 Revised Uniform Guidance, please review the FAQs page found here . Additional Grants Training and Management Resources may be found here .

The overall purpose of the Alaska Native Education program is to meet the unique education needs of Alaska Natives and to support supplemental education programs to benefit Alaska Natives.

Grantees under the program use their funds for such activities as the development of curricula and education programs that address the education needs of Alaska Native students, and the development and operation of student enrichment programs in science and mathematics.

Eligible activities also include professional development for educators, activities carried out through Even Start programs and Head Start programs, family literacy services, and dropout prevention programs.

Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, the development of curricula and education programs that address the education needs of Alaska Native students deepen the cultural knowledge of Alaska Native students, and the development and operation of student enrichment programs in science and mathematics. Eligible activities also include professional development for educators, activities carried out through Even Start (#84.

213) programs and Head Start programs, family literacy services, and dropout prevention programs. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Sealaska Heritage Institute S356A250017 $2,747,869.

00 The Raven Writes: Expanding Culturally Responsive Writing Instruction Throughout Southeast Alaska project by Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) expands the framework and partnerships between SHI and six public school districts in Southeast Alaska.

The goals and objectives of the project are to engage Alaska Native (AN) students in writing with culturally responsive tools, methods and materials, to provide high-quality professional development (PD) in culturally responsive pedagogies for English/Language Arts (ELA); and to involve AN families and communities in school events to deepen their connection to their children’s education.

SHI, Alaska’s Educational Resource Center (SERRC), and six school districts are collaborating to improve the academic achievement of AN students by incorporating Native ways of knowing, with an emphasis on writing about shared experiences, which include harvesting, preparing, and sharing traditional foods – all to help AN students learn from their own stories, connect to who they are, and otherwise write to recount, reveal, and celebrate.

The Raven Writes Expansion will serve students, teachers, and families of K-5 students in 6 villages (Hoonah, Yakutat, Angoon, Klukwan, Kake, and Hydaburg) and 10 elementary schools in the Juneau School District. Altogether, Raven Writes Expansion, will serve 2,009 students annually. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Sealaska Heritage Institute S356A250042 $2,266,234.

00 Pathways and Partnerships to Support Culturally Relevant Career and Technical Education for Southeast Alaska Students project by Sealaska Heritage Institute will improve educational outcomes for Alaska Native (AN) students through a coordinated approach to design and delivery of career and technical (CTE) education that is culturally responsive and relevant and is responsive to regional needs.

The project aims to provide AN students with the opportunity to participate in a well-designed, locally and culturally relevant career and technical education program that is inclusive of career and postsecondary guidance and results in in an actionable postsecondary plan upon high school graduation and increased resilience and cultural confidence.

There are three project objectives that include (1) developing learning opportunities for students and professional development for educators defined by career pathways and clusters, in both virtual and hybrid instructional formats, (2) developing a college and career pathway plan prior to high school graduation, and (3) developing competence with cultural identity tools and gaining resilience and confidence.

Project activities include the formation of a Southeast Alaska Regional CTE consortium to offer CTE curriculum in virtual and hybrid format, an annual college and career summit, student internships and mentorships, career guidance and postsecondary planning for all students, a Community of Practice for educators related to CTE practices, and Traditional Games sponsorship at the local and regional level.

The target population for this proposal is the 1,198 AN students in grades 9-12 who attend one of the 37 high schools in the 15 partner school districts in Southeast Alaska who will have access to career guidance and planning resources. A subset of the target population will elect to participate in project-sponsored CTE Intensives-288 students and Internships-30 students.

In addition, the program will impact 20 teachers who participate in a structured Community of Practice and sponsor coach training for Traditional Games and up to 375 students participating in Traditional Games/Native Youth Olympics. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Native Village of Napakiak S356A250089 $1,450,577.

00 The Building Bridges for Indigenous Children (BBIC) project by the Native Village of Napakiak has three broad objectives, which include to professionalize pre-school leaders, establish a village-based pre-school leader career ladder, and strengthen communities’ ability to support emerging literacy.

The project’s core activities are to establish preschools in 12 Lower Kuskokwim River villages; train the Preschool Leaders who staff them in best preschool education practices; recruit, hire and prepare new Pre-School Leaders from local villages; and involve Elders and the community in preschool education.

The project will serve populations including 12 Pre-School Leaders, 12 Communities, 120 Parents and Caretakers, and 24 Aspiring Pre-School Leaders within the Villages of Kasigluk, Kongiganak, Newtok/Mertarvik, Bethel, Kipnuk, Eek, Atmautluak, Kwigillingok, Nightmute, Mekoryuk, Tununak, and Napakiak. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Sealaska Heritage Institute S356A250007 $2,108,578.

00 Baby Raven Reads (BRR) A Culturally Sustaining Early Literacy Program project by Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is a kindergarten-readiness early literacy program that will improve the educational outcomes of Alaska Native (AN) children in Southeast Alaska.

The goals and objectives in this project include increasing positive attitudes for early literacy in the homes of 350 AN children through the following three activities: (1) engaging AN families in culturally responsive literacy activities at Family Literacy Events, (2) mailing 350 Native children BRR Literacy Kits (books & activity) and, (3) publishing three culturally sustaining BRR books.

The project will also increase training for Early Childhood Workforce with a family focus and cultural proficiency to support early literacy through the following five activities: (1) offering Circles of Security Parenting Trainings to staff and caregivers; (2) hosting three Early Childhood Conferences; (3) providing relationship-based coaching to early educators working with Native children; (4) Native Elders and Roving Readers bringing BRR Literacy Kits to childcare centers; and (5) providing cultural proficiency training through a 25-hour asynchronous course to early educators.

The final objective includes developing an Early Learning Curriculum for birth to five through the following three activities: (1) publishing and distributing six early learning, standard-based BRR curriculum units; (2) Developing and publishing family event lesson plans for the Tribal Head Start programs; and, (3) partnering with the Tribal Head Starts kindergarten-readiness summer camps called, “Gumboot Camp” for pre-K AN children.

SHI’s design of curriculum and services (in partnership with the Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children and Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska) will improve the kindergarten readiness of 350 AN children in 17 Southeast Alaska communities-- Hydaburg, Juneau, Kasaan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Hoonah, Angoon, Sitka, Kake, Metlakatla, Yakutat, Craig, Klawock, Haines, Klukwan, Ketchikan and Saxman.

Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Alaska Native Heritage Center Inc. S356A250024 $1,283,116. 00 The Ilakucaraq Project (IP) by the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Inc., is an educational program that seeks to address academic disparities amongst the Alaska Native (AN) community through cultural education, supports to teachers, and community development efforts focused on building cohesive educational networks.

The project has been carried out since 2021 through a partnership between the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC), the Alaska Humanities Forum (AKHF) and Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS). IP improves AN high school and college graduation rates and long-term wellbeing.

The first objective includes activities include strengthening AN students’ cultural identity development through Urban/Rural Travel Cohorts, Exploring Our Identities Intensives, and Sitka programming. The project also will provide school professionals with teaching and community building strategies through professional development courses .

The final objective includes implementing cultural identity development programming through a summit, workshops, and development of a vision statement. Through 20 communities hosting programming, 365 AN students, 200 school professionals and their estimated 2,000 AN students, along with 50 community stakeholders, will be served. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Ilisagvik College S356A250013 $1,000,000.

00 Akpaktuq: Improving Student Success with Place-Based and Indigenized Support Programs for Pre-College and First-Year College Students by Iḷisaġvik College, an Alaska Native (AN) Organization and Tribally Controlled College and University located in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, has three main goals: (1) improve academic achievement, retention, and persistence by addressing math and writing gaps in first-year college (and other) students, (2) improve motivation towards college in the North Slope region and increase matriculation rates by exposing secondary students to college and career pathways through pre-college programming activities each summer, and (3) expand capacity for indigenizing Iḷisaġvik College (institutionally and curriculum) by growing the Iñupiaq Studies program and ensuring all staff and faculty meet cultural competencies.

These goals will be accomplished through four main activities, which include (1) implementing math and writing supports by hiring a dedicated math and writing specialist and foundational English faculty member, (2) implementing a math and writing support program in student services, (3) supporting pre-college programming via summer camps by offering and augmenting pre-college summer programming for rural and Alaska Native secondary students, and (4) building capacity in the Iñupiaq Studies Program to support increased student enrollment by hiring a new Iñupiaq Studies faculty member to serve the growing academic program with large Alaska Native enrollment at Iḷisaġvik.

The college will also continue indigenization efforts by creating and implementing a cultural competency program for all staff and faculty and indigenizing curriculum with support from Iñupiaq Studies faculty members. Within this project workstream is the plan to create an assessment of cultural competency and a thorough education program for both existing and new staff and faculty members.

These goals and activities will help facilitate better persistence and retention rates, course and programmatic completion rates, and graduation rates over three years. Iḷisaġvik serves the eight Iñupiaq Tribal villages in the arctic North Slope region, as well as greater Alaska, with quality postsecondary education. Each year, Iḷisaġvik serves approximately 1,400 students.

Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Cook Inlet Tribal Center (Formerly Clare Swan Early Learning Center) S356A250016 $797,943. 00 Nghughenłnik1 project by Clare Swan Early Learning Center (CSELC) will address the need for services to mitigate the persistent and acute disparity between the school-readiness rates of Alaska Native (AN) children and those of other children entering the Anchorage School District.

The project will support increased school readiness by providing social emotional learning (SEL) resources and training to teachers of AN/American Indian (AI) children ages 3-5 years in Anchorage. Through partnership with Thread, Alaska’s Childcare Resource & Referral organization, the project will make these resources available to early learning professionals statewide.

Nghughenłnik is designed to align with the Anchorage School District framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health while mitigating gaps in the cultural relevance of existing resources. The resources adapt “Pyramid Model” scripted stories and associated resources to reflect and reinforce the lived experiences and cultural values of Alaska’s indigenous peoples.

Project deliverables include books, teacher trainings, lesson plans, kits of teacher support materials, such as puppets, posters, and activity cards, and parent support materials.

Over three years, Nghughenłnik1 will develop four culturally relevant books and associated resources aligned with the Pyramid Model SEL framework; distribute project resources to 50 pre-school classrooms serving AN/AI students; train 120 preschool teachers in Nghughenłnik implementation; translate four sets of Nghughenłnik resources into at least two AN languages; convene a Culturally Responsive Early Education Advisory Group; and use Nghughenłnik resources in CSELC’s preschool classroom.

Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. S356A250035 $1,497,172. 00 The Read With Me program by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. (CITC), will supplement Anchorage School District efforts at four elementary schools to comply with the Alaska Reads Act through a culturally informed at-home reading campaign.

The project will begin with development and distribution of early literacy awareness and education material tailored to parents of Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) children in the Anchorage School District, emphasizing strategies for engaging in at-home reading.

At participating schools, CITC staff will support Anchorage School District teachers with reading interventions during the school day and afterschool will facilitate catch-up-on-reading programming, with a strong focus on use of culturally reflective materials and culturally appropriate teaching strategies.

Over three years, Read With Me will develop and implement a system to track and support at home reading engagement among parents of AN/AI students enrolled in participating schools in grades K-3 who have an Individual Reading Improvement Plan (IRIP).

The project will provide services at four Anchorage School District elementary schools to AN/AI students in grades K-3 screened as below literacy benchmarks, which include culturally informed reading support services, afterschool language and literacy enrichment services emphasizing Native Language and Culture, and referrals to a school break literacy enrichment program emphasizing Native language and culture.

Once a semester, the project will also offer early literacy outreach and education materials to parents of AN/AI students enrolled in participating schools in grades K-3 who have an IRIP. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount EXCEL Alaska, Inc. dba Alaska EXCEL S356A250023 $1,499,999.

00 North Slope Prepare for Graduation Program by EXCEL Alaska, Inc. dba Alaska EXCEL, a 501c3 educational nonprofit, in partnership with the Inupiat Community of Arctic Slope (ICAS), a Tribally Designated Organization , Qargi Academy Tribal School (Inupiaq Tribal School), and the North Slope Borough School District (a public district) will increase on-time graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.

The main objectives of this goal include increasing academic performance and engagement, fostering ownership of learning, enhancing knowledge of academic and transition processes, and strengthening students' connections with caring adults. Annual project activities include 21 culturally relevant sessions, where students can earn high school credits.

The sessions are short-term, residential educational experiences that range in length from four to 12 days during the school year and 28 days in the summer, depending on the age of the student and the type of training. Every EXCEL session consists of two broad components: (1) a comprehensive, culturally relevant curriculum tailored to the needs of individual students, and (2) multiple layers of social and academic support.

Specific activities include one session titled "How to be a Successful High School Student" for 9th graders, three credit recovery sessions in Math, Science, & English, the creation of a Personal Learning Career Plan by each student, opportunities for students to gain 2+ job experiences, and two Graduation Workshops for grant partners to collaborate on increasing graduation rates for Native Alaskan students.

In addition to academic performance, students can also choose to participate in sessions dedicated to skilled trades/career and technical education. Additionally, each 7th-12th grade student will receive graduation coaching from their EXCEL Graduation Coach throughout their school career until graduation. Students will also benefit from graduation, career, life skills, and well-being counseling.

Annually, this project will serve over 300 students across the eight villages in the North Slope region. Additionally, an estimated 40 North Slope educational staff members will attend the annual graduation workshops. The project will serve eight remote North Slope Villages: Point Hope, Point Lay, Wainwright, Utqiagvik, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik, and Anaktuvuk Pass.

Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. S356A250039 $1,496,934. 00 The Edzege1 Extended Day program by Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. (CITC), will address gaps and weaknesses in extended day programming to ensure that the programming meets the unique educational needs of Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) K-8 students in Anchorage.

In the Anchorage School District (ASD), at the elementary school level, a limited number of schools serving AN/AI students offer extended day services on-site, but even those schools rely on partnership with community organizations to provide enrichment opportunities. At the middle school level, most schools rely on online and off-site services to extend the school day.

To meet the need for K-8 extended day programming that is both accessible and relevant to AN/AI students, Edzege Extended Day will offer before school services at four ASD middle schools and afterschool programming at elementary schools served through the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) program.

Edzege Extended Day is designed to achieve the relevant outcomes of increasing school-based protective and promotive factors among participating students. Youth Advocacy services will be available to support students as they develop social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, and to help families access any social services needed to help them move from surviving to thriving.

Over three years, Edzege Extended Day will develop and deliver extended day programming for K-8 settings in Anchorage that focuses primarily on AN/AI culture, provide 20 hours per semester of high-quality afterschool programming at eight elementary schools in Anchorage served by the CCLC program, provide 90 hours per semester of high quality before school programming to AN/AI Indian students enrolled at four middle schools, provide at least 50 opportunities to increase connection to culture and community at 12 ASD schools, and provide at least 50 culturally-relevant problem-solving opportunities to enrolled AN/AI K-8 students.

Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Knik Tribe S356A250056 $1,451,933. 00 F. S.

A Full STEAM Ahead by Knik Tribe, implemented by the Youth Education Service’s Benteh STEAM Academy, is a high school and middle school in-, after-, and out-of-school program providing STEAM standards-based and culturally- based education to students in the Matanuska Susitna Borough (Matsu Valley).

The proposed project will provide youth, ages 12-19, with opportunities for cultural connection, STEAM enrichment, academic and advocacy support, and career/post-secondary planning . F. S.

A. will increase interest in STEAM careers, increase performance on student achievement assessments, increase graduation rates, and increase students’ cultural awareness and connection for Native Alaska (NA) and American Indian (AI) students.

This proposed project will also bring together STEM and cultural educators, local fabricators and engineers, , and students from across Alaska in collaboration and sharing of ideas, projects, curriculum and interests. The program will also provide educational and advocacy support by creating individual academic plans and providing advocacy support to our students.

Students may also be hired on as interns to learn more in depth 21st century skills, as well as gain education and manufacturing experience. Major outcomes of this program are anticipated to be an increase in AN and AI students graduating high school with a regular high school diploma, an increase in the number of students at proficient or exceeds proficient on state assessments, and an increase of students passing STEM core subjects.

Over 36 months, F. S. A will provide nine STEAM lessons to Matsu Valley students.

The program will provide 3,000 hours of Academy and Fab Lab time to 135 AN and AI students with school break camps. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Knik Tribe S356A250049 $4,307,000. 00 The STEAM Academy Facility Project by Knik Tribe, designed for the Youth Education Service’s Benteh STEAM Academy, has a goal to construct a STEAM Academy facility to house their growing educational programs.

The building is estimated to be approximately 7000 square foot building with five large classrooms and five offices. The Knik Tribe STEAM Academy has grown through great participation numbers, with youth from Matanuska Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) schools, homeschools, charter schools, fly-in from rural/remote schools, and even online live classes to remote schools.

Knik STEAM Academy has also been recognized as a STEAM Ecosystem by nationally recognized TIES, an educational framework focused on inclusivity developed by the University of Minnesota, due to providing such a great educational opportunity to many students and covering all of Alaska. This new facility will also become the location of F. S.

A. STEAM, another fiscal year 2025 Alaska Native Education Program funded project. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Hydaburg City School District S356A250032 $1,420,701.

00 Project ACHIEVE is proposed by Hydaburg City School District.

The Hydaburg Cooperative Association (Alaska Native Tribe – chartering tribe) authorizes the Hydaburg City School District (HCSD) (whose governing board is comprised of over 80% Alaskan Natives – and two other school districts - Southeast Island (SISD) and the Klawock City Schools (KCS) to bring an innovative research-based program to 400 Alaskan Native (AN) students in grades K-12 each year of the project.

The targeted schools are located in small, remote, RURAL villages on Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island.

The overall goal of Project ACHIEVE is to provide educational programs for at-risk Alaska Native students that are designed to improve academic proficiency and graduation rates by using strategies based upon strong evidence research from the What Works Clearinghouse that incorporate a strong data collection and continuous evaluation component.

These activities will address the identified gaps: Academic Integration Specialist (AIS) supplements the district curriculum with culturally relevant units, Research-Based delivery of Full-Color Webs of Support.

CHAMPS and Positive Action to improve student resiliency, 57 hours of targeted professional development to improve teacher instructional practice, provide age-appropriate, culturally relevant books for students, provide a teacher support mentor and provide student Leadership opportunities.

Goals of the project are: Research based PD opportunities embedded with AK cultural Standards, improve student’s relevancy to their education and engagement, Provide instructional supports and modeling with an Academic Integration Specialist and a Teacher Support Mentor. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Doyon Foundation S356A250057 $819,465.

00 The Molly of Denali Denaakk’e Gamification Project by the Doyon Foundation, will increase student engagement and motivation toward language learning and education, expand and deepen Indigenous Language instructors teaching technology focused skills and techniques by learning and practicing their Indigenous Denaakk’e language, and expand Language Instructor professional development opportunities for utilizing existing online and digital resources in the classroom.

The primary project activities will be to create an online Denaakk’e educational language learning game, deliver professional development opportunities to language instructors in both classroom and online language instructional methods and techniques to use educational games in the classroom, and conduct academic research on the impact online language learning games have on K-5 student language learner engagement and language development.

The game will be initially piloted at 10 schools in the Yukon-Koyukuk School District with students in K-3rd grade. By the end of the grant, the game will be shared district- wide in the language learning classrooms with a total of 150 students in the Yukon-Koyukuk School District.

The end product will be a language game platform for students in kindergarten to 3rd-grade to easily access Denaakk’e language content for use in the classroom and in the home. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Learning Point Alaska S356A250067 $1,236,443. 00 The Naaqi project by Learning Point Alaska, will create high impact individualized virtual tutoring in reading and math.

A major component of this project is a four-week summer learning program of sufficient duration and design, based on best practices, to increase student achievement. The goal of the Naaqi (“to read” in Yup’ik) is to increase academic achievement and cultural connectedness for Hooper Bay Charter School students through a summer academic and cultural session and high intensity tutoring during the school year and summer session.

There are three supporting objectives with related performance measures, including (1) creating and offering four weeks of academic content and cultural activities to 60 students in grades 3-9 each summer, (2) providing high intensity virtual tutoring to Hooper Bay students in grades 3-9 in English/language arts, math, and science during the summer session and regular school year that is of sufficient duration for each student receiving tutoring to demonstrate academic gains, and (3) providing each student in grades 3-9 enrolled in Hooper Bay Charter School with at least four books of his or her choice for summer reading.

Project partners include Learning Point Alaska, Native Village of Hooper Bay, Sea Lion Corporation, Hooper Bay Charter School, and Hooper Bay Charter School Academic Policy Committee. All students enrolled in Hooper Bay Charter school will receive in school year tutoring and counseling services. Sixty students annually will participate in the summer session.

Other individuals to be served include Elders, parents, and the community of Hooper Bay who will be invited to participate in project activities. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Northwest Arctic Borough School District S356A250025 $509,007.

00 The Iñupiatun Iḷisaqta Project (TIIP) by the North West Arctic Borough School District (NWABSD), aims to preserve Inupiaq culture and language, focusing on educational innovation for Alaska Native (AN) students. TIIP will revitalize the endangered Inupiaq language through structured educational programs, supported by the Inupiaq Language Commission, Aqqaluk Trust, and charters from the Native Villages of Noatak, Kobuk, and Shungnak.

The project is designed around four main goals, which are (1) to increase NWABSD’s Students’ knowledge, skills and extent of the Inupiaq language and promote Inupiaq fluency in reading, speech and writing, (2) to increase Inupiaq language and cultural activities within High School Physical Science and Biology courses, (3) to increase the exposure of the NWABSD Pilot Schools Iñupiaq language and cultural activities, and (4) to provide opportunities for stakeholders to be actively involved in developing the NWABSD curriculum and cultural activities by using the local community in writing, developing, and incorporating Ilitqusiat.

This initiative aims to expand immersion classrooms, increase fluent Inupiaq speakers, and foster comprehensive community involvement in its educational approach. TIIP will serve 929 students at 3 sites (Buckland, Shungnak, Kotzebue). Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Sealaska Heritage Institute S356A240009 $1,854,306.

00 Thru the Cultural Lens (TCL) is a cultural orientation and training and professional development project designed to improve educational outcomes of Alaska Native students in Southeast Alaska by providing high-quality culturally responsive and place-based training and resources to educators in the region.

The project goal, objectives, and outcomes are as follows: Project Goal: Provide high-quality culturally responsive and place-based training and professional development activities to educators in the region to improve educational outcomes of Alaska Native students in Southeast Alaska.

Objective 1: Increase teacher effectiveness and deepen praxis of culturally responsive teaching of Southeast Alaskan teachers through professional development and instructional support training. Objective 2: Build capacity and professional connections among educators to increase their ability to integrate culturally responsive practices through the provision of mentoring, networking, and coaching opportunities.

The primary project activities of professional development on culturally responsive educational practices include: Annual cultural orientation seminars; Culturally Responsive UbD Workshop; Culturally Proficient Coaching; Culturally Responsive Community of Practice; and an Educational Professional Development Conference focused on Culturally Responsive Educational Practices.

This project will serve 1,395 educators and paraeducators that work for the Southeast Alaskan school districts. While this project will primarily focus on and prioritize Southeast Alaskan school districts, the application for activities will also be open to educators and paraeducators in all 54 Alaskan School Districts.

Activities will take place virtually and in Juneau, Alaska on the SHI Building and Arts Campus or on the University of Alaska Southeast Campus located in Juneau Alaska. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Sealaska Heritage Institute S356A240010 $2,554,814.

00 Voices on the Land: Alaska Literacy Blueprint and Arts Integration will increase the percentage of Alaska Native children advanced or proficient in Language Arts through culturally responsive literacy & arts integration.

Project objectives and activities: Objective 1 implements the inquiry-based coaching model to support educators, improve instruction for 2nd and 3rd grade readers, and develop 15 arts and literacy integration Strategy Cards. Objective 2 develops culturally responsive educators through professional learning opportunities by providing embedded professional development with aligned continuing education and hosting in-service workshops.

Objective 3 immerses students in cultural, literacy, and arts experiences to cultivate engagement and confidence by: (1) Alaska Native Teaching Artists provide three-week 4th-5th grade arts and literacy residencies annually. (2) hosting cultural arts literacy integration intensives for elementary students.

Objective 4 grows Alaska Native Teaching Artists by establishing professional pathways (1) apprenticeships & trainings, and (2) internships and arts camps.

Number of participants to be served: Annually Alaska Native people impacted include: 417 2nd – 5th graders, 75 elementary students through out-of-school intensives, 3 Teaching Artist Apprentices, 4 interns, and 10 arts camp attendees along with 85 educators who serve Alaska Native students through coaching and professional development.

Number and location of proposed sites: 90 classrooms at 15 schools in Juneau, Yakutat, Ketchikan, Craig, & Klawock. Applicant Name PR Award Number Funding Amount Lower Yukon School District S356A240040 $1,368,799. 00 Cultural Heritage and Opportunities In Career/College Education (CHOICE) service area is the ten Yup’ik communities in the rural, western region of Alaska within the boundaries of LYSD.

The project offers 260 Alaska Native 7-12th grade students an alternative to full-year boarding schools by providing three short-term CTE intensives in Anchorage at LYSD’s Kusilvak Career Academy, University of Alaska Anchorage’s Alaska Middle College School, and Chugach School District’s Voyage School.

Goals are to improve educational outcomes; improve personal, social, resiliency, & urban living skills; preserve Yup’ik culture; & provide college and career preparation and planning activities.

Objectives are to: 1) utilize culturally informed contextual and online curriculum; 2) provide personalized instruction; individualized career and learning plans; comprehensive school-based support services including School Based Mental Health Services; college and career exploration, preparation, and planning in career intensive units of study; personal, social, urban living, and resiliency skill training and experiences; and opportunities to share local culture and interact with Alaska Native professionals 3) integrate culture-based programming; and