Nevada Only State to Receive $3.251 Million U.S. Department of Education Native Youth Community Projects Grant

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has received a four-year $3.251 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that more American Indian students are college and career ready.

“I am really proud of our team in the state that put together a compelling grant proposal that fits directly into the state’s strategic plan,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction. “We have long had a goal that all of our students graduate college, career and community ready. This grant will greatly help our American Indian students and in turn help Nevada become the fastest improving state in the nation.”

NDE was the only state agency in the country to receive a Native Youth Community Projects grant from the U.S. Department of Education. NDE will work directly with the Yerington Paiute Tribe, the Walker River Paiute Tribe, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe and their education department’s, the Lyon County School District, Humboldt County School District, Yerington Intermediate School, Yerington High School, and McDermitt Combined School.

This project will use College and Career Coaches to individually advise students, community based instructors who will be housed with the tribes and will perform community presentations based on individual community needs. Some of the planned supports include ensuring curriculum is culturally relevant to Nevada American Indians, creating summer school programs for credit recovery, college field trips and hosting a statewide youth conference twice per year. The goal is to increase enrollment in Advanced Placement courses, increase applications to college and trade schools and raise grade-point averages. This project will work in collaboration with grants like Gear Up to achieve these goals.

“Nevada has created a program that will engage students, parents, families and the tribal communities,” said Fredina Romero from NDE who assisted in writing the grant proposal and will manage the project. “This grant will allow us to address traditional common barriers in our American Indian communities.”