UAS Alaska College of Education Awarded Grant for Indigenous Alaska Scholars

The grant will provide graduate-level training to qualified Alaska Natives to become certificated teachers and administrators, with a focus on preparing them to work in predominantly-Native Alaska schools.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: November 6, 2018

The Alaska College of Education at the University of Alaska Southeast is the recipient of a five-year $1.26M Indian Education Professional Development grant through the U.S. Department of Education. The grant entitled Indigenous Alaska Scholars will provide graduate-level training to qualified Alaska Natives to become certificated teachers and administrators, with a focus on preparing them to work in predominantly-Native Alaska schools. The initiative was one of twenty projects selected nationwide; Year One funding will total $363,240. The project is designed to provide financial support to three cohorts of students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or the Education Leadership graduate program for future school principals. Mentor support for graduates during an induction into the field of education will continue for an additional two years.

Dr. Steve Atwater, Executive Dean of the College notes, “We are thrilled to be able to offer support for future Alaska Native teachers and principals. Our state desperately needs more Alaska Native educators, and this grant will help meet this need.”

Consortium partners supporting the Alaska College of Education grant include Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI), which will provide culturally responsive training. The Alaska Statewide Teacher Mentor Project will provide individualized teacher induction supports, and the Alaska Council of School Administrators and the Alaska Staff Development Network will assist with recruitment and provide Education Leadership students with the opportunity to attend the ASDN Alaska School Leadership Institute. Moreover, two Alaska school districts—Ketchikan Gateway Borough and Lower Kuskokwim School District—have lent their support to the project.

A meeting of grantees is scheduled for November 18. For more information contact Ronalda Cadiente Brown (907) 796-6058 or email rcadientebrown@alaska.edu.