The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition announced today the awarding of $2,996,627 in grants under the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program, to enhance capacity and provide effective instruction and support to Native American students who are English learners.

Under the program, money will be used to support the teaching, learning and study of Native American languages including Native Hawaiian and Native American Pacific Islanders. A key aim will be to increase the English language proficiency of students being served to achieve the same rigorous state academic standards for all students. The Department projects this new cohort will serve about 8,000 Native American and Alaska Native students over the course of five years at all grade levels, from pre-K – 12th grade.

“These grants represent an important opportunity to increase support for our Native children to develop capabilities in more than one language by learning English and their Native language, preserve their cultural heritage through language learning activities and engage families and communities in multi-generational learning and the education of their children,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “The grants also provide professional training for educators working with Native English learner students, allowing us to continue delivering on our promise of equity, excellence and opportunity in supporting all students, particularly students, educators and families in high need communities.”

In addition to the priority for supporting the preservation and revitalization of Native American languages, this competition encourages a focus on improving early learning and development outcomes. Projects are also encouraged to include meaningful parent, family and community engagement to improve student achievement.

The Obama Administration’s commitment to equity in education underlies nearly every significant activity of the Education Department. Since 2008, the Department has awarded an estimated $40.3 million in these grants to improve educational outcomes for Native American and Alaska Native English Learner Students.