Native American Language Resource Center/Grant Program (NALRC)

The fiscal year 2023 notice inviting applications for the Native American Language Resource Centers Program discretionary grant program competition is now closed.

The Native Language Immersion Summer Series occurred June 29 through August 8, 2023. Visit the Technical Assistance page to view the webinar series and resources.

Program Overview

The purposes of the NALRC program, which further aligns resources provided by the Department with the policies in the Native American Languages Act (NALA), 25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq., is to support establishing, strengthening, and operating one or more Native American language resource centers.

Types of Projects

Absolute Priority 1: Regional Centers

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a regional Native American language resource center that supports the provision of high-quality capacity-building services to Tribal clients and recipients to identify, implement, and sustain effective programs, practices, and interventions that –

  1. Encourage the support the use of Native American languages within educational systems in the same manner as other world languages;
  2. Support the development of, adoption, and use of assessments, qualifications, and processes based on promising practices in Native American language medium education;
  3. Provide technical assistance to Native American language programs seeking other Federal resources; and
  4. Provide technical assistance to Native American communities and school systems to support the development of Native American language medium education programs in preschool, elementary school, secondary school, or adult education programs.

Absolute Priority 2: National Center

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that supports a National Center that will provide high quality capacity-building services to Regional Centers, other Department-funded technical assistance centers, Tribal clients and recipients, and IHEs, including TCUs, to identify, implement, and sustain effective programs, practices, and interventions that –

a. Encourage and support educator preparation programs, as well as appropriate alternative pathways to teacher certification, that prepare teachers to teach Native American languages and to use Native American languages as a medium of instruction, including by disseminating promising practices and developing pedagogical programming;

b. Provide information and resources on promising practices in –

1. The use and revitalization of Native American languages in Native American communities, including use in educational institutions and

2. The use of technology in school and community-based Native American language programs to support the retention, use, and teaching of Native American languages;

c. Support the use of distance learning technologies in Native American language acquisition and related training for parents, students, teachers, and learning support staff associated with Native American language programs;

d. Support regional centers, Native American language programs, and Native American communities in

a. Accessing international best practices, resources, and research in indigenous language revitalization; and

b. Gathering and sharing technical assistance, promising practices, and experiences.

Contact Information

Donna Sabis-Burns, Ph.D.
Interim Program Officer
Office of Indian Education,
U.S. Department of Education, OESE
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202

Native American Language Resource Center/Grant Program (NALRC)

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