U.S. Department of Education: Native American Language Program

The purposes of the Native American Language (NAL@ED) program are to support schools that use Native American and Alaska Native languages as the primary language of instruction; maintain, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans and Alaska Natives to use, practice, maintain, and revitalize their languages, as envisioned in the Native American Languages Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and support the Nation’s First Peoples’ efforts to maintain and revitalize their languages and cultures, and to improve educational opportunities and student outcomes within Native American and Alaska Native communities.

Grantees have flexibility in designing projects that support Native American or Alaska Native language education and development and provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school(s) that will be served by the grant program. Projects funded under this program may be used for professional development of teachers, curriculum development, and evaluation and assessment to support Native or Alaska Native language education, as well as instruction in the Native language. Student instruction may comprise elementary or secondary levels or both.

This competition contains two absolute priorities, two competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. At least one of the absolute priorities must be met in order to apply.

Absolute Priority 1: Projects that will take place in one or more schools of a State-funded local educational agency (LEA), including a public charter school that is an LEA under State law, and that will support Native American or Alaska Native language education and development, as well as provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school that will be served by the project.

Absolute Priority 2: Projects that will take place in one or more schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), an Indian tribe, Tribal College or University (TCU), an Alaska Native Regional Corporation, or a private, tribal, or Alaska Native nonprofit organization, and that will support Native American or Alaska Native language education and development, as well as provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school(s) that will be served by the project.

Competitive Preference Priority 1 (0 or 5 points): An additional five points will be awarded to an application for a project in which either the lead applicant or a partner receives, or is eligible to receive, a formula grant under title VI of the ESEA, and commits to use all or part of that formula grant to help sustain this project after conclusion of the grant period. To meet this priority, a project must include an assurance that indicates the fiscal year in which the entity will begin using title VI formula grant funds to help support this project; what percentage of the title VI grant will be used for this; and that parent committee input and approval of this action has been or will be obtained, as necessary.

Competitive Preference Priority 2 (0 or 5 points): An additional five points will be awarded to an application submitted by an Indian tribe, Indian organization, or TCU that is eligible to participate in the NAL@ED program. A consortium application that includes these entities will also be considered eligible to receive preference under this priority. In order to be considered a consortium application, the application must include the consortium agreement, signed by all parties.

Invitational Priority: This priority is for projects that include a measure of student well-being, which may include mental health, as one of the project-specific objectives. (No additional points are awarded.)

Amount: $1,100,000 is available for 4-8 awards, ranging from $125,000-$300,000 each year for three years.

Eligibility: Indian tribes; TCU; tribal educational agency; local education agency, including a public charter school that is a local educational agency under State law; school operated by the BIE; Alaska Native Regional Corporation; private, tribal, or Alaska Native nonprofit organization; nontribal for-profit organization.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=293590

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