Project Grant S356A240061

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has awarded a $1,108,749 Project Grant under the Alaska Native Educational Programs (CFDA 84.356) to the Sealaska Heritage Institute, Inc. in Juneau, Alaska. The grant, titled "The HAA Kusteeyi Initiative: Building a Culture, Leadership, Ecological Knowledge, and Indigenous STEM Pathway to Post-Secondary Education & Career in Southeast Alaska," will be executed from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025.

The grant funds will support the Sealaska Heritage Institute's efforts to perpetuate and enhance the cultures of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples of Southeast Alaska. Key project activities include developing culturally responsive curriculum, providing teacher training, implementing early childhood education programs, and creating cultural enrichment activities. The goal is to improve academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college and career readiness for Alaska Native youth by integrating indigenous languages, cultures, and traditional ecological knowledge into educational systems.