California Tribes Share $30 Million Grant for Student Support Services

Yurok Tribe and the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation, two tribes in California’s second district, have received a five-year, $30 million grant. Coming from the Department of Education (DOE), the funding will establish support services for students in Del Norte County.

The grant comes from DOE’s program, Promise Neighborhoods, which focuses on improving education for youth in distressed communities. It will go toward helping 2,000 students from the Yurok Tribe and 1,000 students from the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation.

“This funding will increase collaboration between local tribes and schools, improve enrollment and retention of native students, and expand programs and services such as apprenticeships, classes on native language and culture, online courses, and books and supplies,” said California Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael). “The federal government has a long history of turning its back on Native communities, and I’m glad to see them support critical education programs in our local Native communities.”

GrantWatch has many grants in its database specifically for tribes and Native American reservations. For example, there are grants to U.S. Tribes to engage volunteer services to address community needs. In addition, focus areas include education, economic opportunity, veterans and military services, disaster services, healthy futures, and environmental stewardship.

What Will the Program Provide?

The grant will be paid over the next five years in the amount of $5,999,644 annually.

Where the funds will go:

• $1,038,353 to the Yurok Tribe’s Native Educational Choices and Empowerment Project
• $655,193 to the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation’s California/Oregon Indian Student Services Program.

Overall, the goal of the grant is to help students through their educational journey. This is especially important considering Native American students often go to universities in rural or remote areas. This can mean less funding towards specific student support services.

According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 19 percent of 18–24-year-old Native American students are in college compared to 41 percent of the overall U.S. population.

“The Yurok Tribe is using these much-needed funds to create a customizable support system for tribal students,” said Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James. “To close the achievement gap, we are creating a digital platform that parents and students can use to select a series of standard and culturally relevant services, ranging from college counseling to traditional knowledge development. This specially tailored tool will ensure that our students receive the targeted assistance they need to complete high school and continue their education, whether it’s at a university or a vocational academy.”

GrantWatch also has grants to U.S. tribes, agencies, and nonprofits including schools for projects that benefit Native nations and people. Focus areas are cultural awareness, legal reform, education, and economic opportunity.

GrantNews Notes

There are also categories for economic development and education-related grants on GrantWatch. Make sure to sign up for a paid subscription to access all of the site’s tools to help grant seekers.