The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Education, has announced more than $11 million in grants to enhance the recruitment and retention of bilingual and multilingual educators, with a particular focus on supporting Native American students and revitalizing Native languages. The funding aims to strengthen educational pathways for Native students while promoting cultural preservation.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized the importance of multilingualism, stating, “Being multilingual is a superpower—a powerful asset that connects students to their identity and culture, and offers cognitive, social, and economic benefits. These investments support our goal of providing every student in America with a pathway to multilingualism and revitalizing Native American languages, a reflection of this Administration’s commitment to Tribal sovereignty and consultation in education.”
The announcement coincides with Secretary Cardona’s 2024 Back to School Bus Tour, themed “Fighting for Public Education,” which highlights the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in public education. The tour underscores how school communities across the U.S. are implementing evidence-based strategies to accelerate academic success and support student well-being. Stops on the tour include visits to Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
The initiative includes $7.5 million allocated through 13 new awards in the National Professional Development (NPD) program, which supports educators of English learners. The NPD program aims to improve language instruction for students by providing grants to institutions of higher education and public or private entities in partnership with states or local educational agencies. This year marks the first cohort of grantees under a new priority to increase the number of bilingual or multilingual teachers through the Grow-Your-Own (GYO) pre-service program. This program recruits teacher candidates who are bilingual or multilingual to address the growing demand for language instruction.
Among the 13 funded entities are two Hispanic Serving Institutions, one Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and one Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution. The Department anticipates that approximately 3,700 participants across nine states will benefit from this funding, with language instruction focusing on Navajo, Sm’álgyax, Spanish, and Ute.
This funding underscores the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to empowering Native students through cultural preservation and educational advancement.
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