Nevada receives Native Youth grant

The Nevada Department of Education has been awarded $3,251,000 for programs to ensure that more American Indian students are college and career ready.

Superintendent of Education Steve Canavero said Nevada is the only state to receive a Native Youth Community Projects grant.

“This grant will greatly help our American Indian students and, in turn, help Nevada become the fastest improving state in the nation,” he said.

The four-year grant will fund work with the Yerington Paiute, Walker River and Fort McDermitt Paiute tribes and the Shoshone Tribe along with the Lyon and Humboldt school districts, Yerington intermediate and high schools and the McDermitt Combined School.

College and career coaches will work with students and community-based instructors will be housed with the tribes to deal with individual community needs. That includes ensuring curriculum is culturally relevant, creating summer school programs and conducting college field trips. They will work to increase enrollment in Advanced Placement classes and applications to both college and trade schools.

Fredina Romero, who helped write the grant proposal, said the funding will allow the department to address traditional barriers in American Indian communities.