Native American Career and Technical Education Program

This project will be conducted by Aaniiih Nakoda College, a tribally controlled college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana. The project goal is to provide a comprehensive CTE program that addresses the needs of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and prepares students for successful employment in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations. The project will combine challenging and relevant training programs with a continuum of support services designed to facilitate the success of each participant. Project training programs include:

• Health Science,
• Building Technology,
• Business Technology,
• Computer Science, and
• Environmental Science.

Each training program will provide participants with increased access to high quality coursework in STEM and/or computer science. Other key project activities will include professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, academic advising and career counseling, classroom-based field experiences, summer employment opportunities, job placement services, transfer assistance, and direct financial support. During each year of the project:

• At least 45 full-time students will receive the academic instruction and support services needed to successfully complete a recognized postsecondary credential.
• At least 85% of project participants will remain enrolled in postsecondary education, receive advanced training, enlist in military service, join a service program, or gain employment.
• At least 50% of project participants will earn a recognized postsecondary credential.

Project Narrative (PDF, 296 KB)

The Alamo Navajo School Board, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, applicant, and lead partner/fiscal agent for this project. The Alamo Navajo School Board operates under resolutions from the Alamo Navajo Community and Navajo Tribe and was organized within the Alamo Navajo Chapter Community to establish and operate Federal and State programs that serve the people of Alamo under contracts, grants, or cooperative or joint powers agreements. This project will:

• Improve CTE programs by implementing CTE services and activities aligned with an industry-recognized credential, certificate and/or associate degree.
• Promote relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare Alamo Navajo CTE secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners for continuing education and the workforce.
• Prepare 100% of the enrolled secondary students with CTE skill proficiencies as demonstrated by completion of dual credit courses that will lead to attainment of an industry-recognized credential, certificate, and/or associate degree over the duration of the project.
• Assist 100% of the enrolled postsecondary students to attain CTE skill proficiencies aligned with industry-recognized standards, gain or retain employment, continue, or complete their 2-yr postsecondary education, or be placed in military or apprenticeship programs over the duration of the project.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 413 KB)

The primary goals of the Bridge to the Future project are to:

• Provide infrastructure, education, and support directly to the K-12 and adult students living in the St. Paul Island Community.
• Provide degrees and certifications in information technology and computer science fields.
• Provide skills and knowledge necessary to assume employment in high-tech, high-wage information technology fields in the community.
• Retain and train staff to assist in preparation, enrollment and completion of information technologies distance degree and certification programs.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures for delivery of study skills, scheduling, organizational skills, and workforce standards with a focus on project participants.

Project Narrative (PDF, 204 KB)

Angoon Community Association is a federally recognized Tribe located on Alaska’s southwest coast at Kootznahoo Inlet, on Admiralty Island's west side. Population loss, pervasive poverty, and a lack of economic opportunity are the recognized key challenges facing Angoon Community Association, both in Angoon and Gustavus. Chatham School District worked in coordination with the Tribe to design Stay North, a targeted CTE initiative with the potential to drastically improve outcomes for local youth, reaching at least 60 students annually. Stay North will align directly to the economic development priorities identified by Angoon Community Association. These priorities include preparing students for careers that meet a local need for welders, builders, entrepreneurs, and other career pathways, particularly in in STEM fields like coding and robotics that would allow the local population to stay in the local area while earning an income remotely. Stay North will bring career development coursework to students beginning in middle school. This project will support students’ discovery of potential careers that could enhance quality of life while providing a viable livelihood. The project will:

• Prepare students to seize local opportunities and remain in the community to raise happy and healthy families.
• Leverage the long-standing partnership between Angoon Community Association and Chatham School District to promote sustainable, systems-based change.
• Provide industry-recognized credentials, including Robotics Coding and Welding Safety Certification.
• Provide summer academy for students to earn hourly stipends as they gain real workplace experience.
• Provide instruction beginning in Grade 7 with Introduction to Northern Careers, continue in Grade 8 with Introduction to Business, and continue throughout high school with Woodworking, Welding, and Robotics.
• Provide access to after-school enrichment opportunities that further career-aligned skills and opportunities.

Project Narrative (PDF, 310 KB)

Blackfeet NACTEP STEM project will provide quality postsecondary education in five degree and certificate programs to Native Americans residing on or near the Blackfeet Reservation that prepare students for meaningful employment opportunities in industry-related careers and emerging professions while focusing on STEM related courses. This project will:

• Provide 60 students industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees in curricula that are aligned with challenging academic standards:
  • One-year certificate Hydrology Aid,
  • Associate of Science Hydrology Technician,
  • One-year certificate Blackfeet Legal Studies,
  • Associate of Science Criminal Justice Legal Studies, and
  • One-year certificate Records Information and Management.
• Provide career guidance, placement services, and academic counseling to 100% of students, with 50% of graduates being placed in employment, additional education, or military.
• Provide students with work-related experience, such as experiential learning modules, and/or a field experience course.

Project Narrative (PDF, 288 KB)

The Blue Lake Rancheria has made education its top priority. The Tribe strives daily to secure a better future for its people, protect its sovereignty and cultural heritage, respect, learn from, and correct injustices of the past, as well as define an economic and diplomatic framework with its neighbors for mutually beneficial relationships. With these concepts in mind, the Tribe has created a five-year education plan, stepping towards self-determination in education. This project will:

• Implement the Modern Youth Apprenticeship Academies, with the Center for Tribal Innovation and Entrepreneurship Consortium partners.
• Provide an agriculture and natural resources program, which will be a robust culturally adapted curriculum and course offerings through vocational education plans.
• Deliver courses that will prepare students to enter the workforce after high school graduation.
• Facilitate and match student to business, with the help of community partnerships with local businesses.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 429 KB)

Cankdeska Cikana Community College is one of the 36 tribal colleges and universities in the United States; established to provide higher education opportunities to Native students; serves the Spirit Lake Dakota reservation community located primarily in Benson County, North Dakota; is a tribally controlled college located in Fort Totten, North Dakota; and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission as an associate degree and certificate granting institution. This project will address the goal to continue to offer CTE and training opportunities to 140 students over a five-year period:

• 140 individuals will participate in training with 75 in Carpentry and 65 in Professional Driver, with 70% of students completing their educational goal.
• 80% of participants will attain industry certification in one or more areas.
• 80% of qualified graduates will obtain employment in the field of training or enter advanced degree programs.

This project will offer tuition, stipends, and job placement assistance and create a skilled workforce based on needs for the Spirit Lake Tribe, the reservation community, as well as the regional job market. Students will receive a certificate after completion of the program. Additionally, the project will support professional

Project Narrative  (PDF, 316 KB)

The Cherokee Central Schools project will introduce computer science pathways to all Cherokee Central Schools students by adding two springboard coding courses in middle school and three complete pathways in high school:

• Drone Technologies,
• Digital Design and Animation, and Programming

These integrated CTE and STEM pathways will lead to industry credentials for students and support work-based learning opportunities within the CTE and STEM fields. The Qualla Education Collaborative is a partner with Cherokee Central Schools and fully supports this project.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 313 KB)

An effective CTE program opens the world of work to students by exposing the students to a variety of career options and preparing them for employment after graduation. At Chief Leschi Schools, it is important that these options include high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand careers, particularly in tribal enterprises. Chief Leschi Schools’ five pathways were developed with this in mind by creating explicit connections to the five major enterprises of the Puyallup Tribe. This project will provide a culturally relevant and powerful CTE program that will:

• Prepare graduates for career or college options to make informed and ambitious decisions about their future.
• Provide guidance for job-shadows, internships, and work-based learning from the fisheries, medical facilities, schools, and the casino’s restaurant, entertainment, and communications departments. The tribal connections of pathways embrace and honor the culture and identity of students and families and provide students a connection to their heritage along with a path to a successful future.
• Support a full-time teacher for each pathway, provide necessary industry equipment, and funding for outreach to students and families.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 10.4 MB)

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a sovereign-land based, federally recognized Native American tribe located in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma. Southeastern Oklahoma has some of the poorest counties in the state, with very sparse populations, an absence of major metropolitan areas, and low educational attainment. This project will:

• Assist secondary students, specifically those within the Poteau and Talihina, OK communities, in navigating a health career pipeline that provides career technology certification courses, test preparation, mentoring, guest speakers from the healthcare industry, and professional career counselors.
• Assist Choctaw secondary students, outside of the target areas, the opportunity to take advantage of some of Choctaw: HEROES’ activities, namely the summer certification courses.
• Partner with regional career technology centers, community colleges, and other higher education institutions throughout the Choctaw Nation.
• Guide adult tribal members as they earn their Licensed Practical Nurse certifications and provide financial and educational support to tribal member students within the Choctaw Nation. These adult students will have the opportunity to attend partner schools.

The Choctaw Nation believes strongly that education is an integral part of a secure financial future. Careers in the healthcare field are currently some of the most critically needed in the state of Oklahoma. This project will directly address the need to increase educational attainment, which will then lead to long-term employment and incomes that better the lives of Choctaw 

Project Narrative  (PDF, 326 KB)

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation project will implement a CTE program for Native Americans in Pottawatomie, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Lincoln and Payne Counties, Oklahoma. Gordon Cooper Technology Center, Metro Tech and Moore Norman Technology Center serve as the partner CTE delivery sites. This project will:

• Provide CTE services to Native Americans in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation social service area, increasing the number of community members that retain high-skill, high-wage employment because of their achievement of a CTE credential, degree, certificate, or other industry-recognized qualification.
• Establish contact with and enroll at least 30 (at least 150 over five years) qualified participants annually and will secure commitments for regular participation in project activities before, during, and after CTE education delivery.
• Develop and implement case management plans, with case managers, that layout actions for each participant to eliminate barriers to CTE educational programs. Plans will be implemented through regular meetings with all participants.
• Enroll, provide tuition, and track progress for at least 30 participants in a CTE program at partner education delivery sites.
• Complete CTE courses of study leading to recognized industry credentials that qualifies for employment in positions that are both high-wage and high-demand.
• Enable Native participants to overcome the barriers preventing entrance and completion of CTE training and achieving career success.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 277 KB)

The primary goal of Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s project is to develop the Tribe’s current and future workforce with emphasis on growing the Tribe’s STEM workforce. The Tribe’s two largest entities with over two hundred employees, require degrees in the health sciences and natural resources. As a result of a yearlong comprehensive assessment and strategic planning process, this project will:

• Deliver, in collaboration with Postsecondary Institutions and Workforce Centers, high-quality industry-recognized education and training opportunities that prepare Tribal Members for successful careers in the Tribe’s career pathways:
  • Natural Resources,
  • Information Technology,
  • Hospitality and Tourism,
  • Business Management and Administration,
  • Education,
  • Health Sciences,
  • Law and Public Safety, and
  • Industry and Trade.
• Deliver, in partnership with Plummer/Worley School District, Tribal Programs and Postsecondary Institutions, a high-quality, experiential, career preparation program that will prepare secondary students for careers for in-demand occupations.
• Increase education and training opportunities and increase employment opportunities for Coeur d’Alene Tribal Community.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 1.46 MB)

College of Menominee Nation is a tribally controlled, land grant institution, chartered by the Menominee Nation that serves the Menominee Nation, neighboring Tribal nations, and surrounding communities. The College is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission.  The project will develop and expand CTE programs, services, and capacity to meet the unique education and employment needs of the community, and regional economic and workforce needs. Programs include:

• Business Administration,
• Public Administration,
• Digital Media,
• Pre-Engineering,
• Biological Science,
• Physical Science,
• Medical Office Technician,
• Computer Numerical Control,
• Natural Sciences,
• Welding,
• Electricity,
• Early Education,
• Home Health Aide,
• Sustainable Residential Building, and
• Computer Science.

The project will provide:

• Rigorous postsecondary CTE programs with recognized credentials toward in-demand occupations.
• Critically needed postsecondary student support services to CTE students.
• Dual enrollment opportunities to local high school students.
• Relevant work-based learning opportunities to CTE students in their program of study.
• Job placement activities to CTE students that focus on increasing employment post-graduation.
• STEM learning opportunities to CTE students.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 299 KB)

This Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. project will create effective and high-quality CTE opportunities for its participants, including economically disadvantaged adults and youths who reside in the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. This project will extend and expand existing services and will be more ambitious in scope than previous projects. Participants will be recruited into the project service via the common application process and will be provided enrollment support with CTE providers, case management, job counseling, supportive services, and referrals and linkages to other services. Project services will facilitate only those CTE courses that are offered by accredited providers and taught by certified instructors. The project goals are to increase the number of economically disadvantaged adults and youths in the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area that:

• Pursue CTE opportunities.
• Enroll in CTE courses with accredited CTE providers.
• Possess active and industry recognized CTE credentials.
• Secure new employment, retain current employment, and/or advance in current employment

Project Narrative  (PDF, 1 MB)

Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School project will live out the mantra of Catch the Vision and fulfill its mission to “...provide high quality education through academics, technology and community involvement, with integration of American Indian culture,” ultimately leading students to become “positive, productive citizens in an ever-changing global society.” In order for students to Catch the Vision, this project will focus on the following goals to increase access to CTE pathways and, ultimately, will support overall student learning and success for Haliwa-Saponi students:

• Increase access to additional learning opportunities for students by offering CTE pathways that lead to CTE credentials and certifications aligned to the workforce needs of the community.
• Implement an AVID College and Career Readiness System to support student success in CTE and college coursework.
• Strengthen overall teaching and learning and student success in CTE and college coursework by implementing an inquiry-based learning instructional model.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 348 KB)

The federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe will create a five-year NACTEP project to align with the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for 2016-2020, including economic and workforce development opportunities. The project’s offerings will include occupations in STEM-related fields:

• Agriculture,
• Natural resources management,
• Computer Science/Computer Information Systems,
• Construction Trades,
• Health Occupations,
• Business Management, and
• Behavioral and Social Sciences.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe provides high quality, fully accredited, academic programs, and comprehensive student support services to American Indian residents of the Trinity and Klamath River communities. This project will:

• Combine resources of the Tribe and the College of the Redwoods to support staff, and to provide direct assistance and stipends to eligible students who face barriers to postsecondary education.
• Provide 55 American Indian/Alaska Native students, on and near the Hoopa Valley Reservation, with sequences of courses culminating in industry-recognized certificates and two-year associate degrees.
• Expand student support services to include hands-on, career exploration, and workplace experiences.
• Achieve an 80% retention rate, and an estimated 70% of participants will complete certificates or degrees for full- and part-time enrollments.
• Target 72 students to complete programs in the next five years.
• Place 80% of concentrators in high-skill, high-wage, and/or in-demand occupations, or transfer to four-year colleges.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 11.8 MB)

The Hydaburg Cooperative Association is a federally recognized Tribe formed by the Indian Reorganization Act of 1938 and is located on Prince of Wales Island in the “panhandle” of southern Southeast Alaska.  Over the past three years as a NACTEP grantee, the Hydaburg Cooperative Association developed a program infrastructure, inter-agency relationships, local credibility, and several successful CTE trainings. The project will build upon the lessons learned, contribute to the growth and stability of the local city, businesses, and Tribal government, as well as meet the in-demand needs the village of Hydaburg, Alaska. The project will include CTE programming in the following industry sectors:

• Hospitality,
• Business management,
• Carpentry,
• Welding,
• Project/grant management, and
• Health care.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 398 KB)

The Inter-Tribal Council of Louisiana, a tribal organization whose primary function is to provide employment and education services to Native Americans in Louisiana, will improve education and employment outcomes for United Houma Nation tribal citizens and students seeking careers in computer science and other STEM-related technical career paths. The project will include activities that will:

• Increase access to STEM coursework, including computer science, and hands-on learning opportunities through expanded course offerings, dual enrollment, high quality online coursework and other innovative delivery mechanisms.
• Target tribal youth with disabilities, ages 16 to 25, to overcome barriers to employment in STEM career paths to decrease unemployment among this targeted group while providing access to high-wage, in-demand career paths.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 755 KB)

Kawerak, Inc. is a nonprofit tribal consortium in the Bering Strait region which provides Bureau of Indian Affairs services on behalf of 20 tribes. The project will develop a technically skilled workforce for in-demand occupations and in-school youth through adulthood. Kawerak’s Pathways Advancing Technical Trades & Employment Readiness Now (PATTERN) will deliver work readiness training in six career pathways of regional importance including:

• Aviation,
• Business and Tribal Governance,
• Construction Trades,
• Health Careers,
• Early Childhood Development, and
• Maritime.

Over 1,300 students will be trained in the five years of this project. Five objectives will guide this project:

• Kawerak will partner with Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center and with postsecondary education and training providers to deliver essential training.
• Career exploration will begin at the middle school level.
• With high school dual credit courses and entry-level certifications, students will delve deeper into career pathway training while developing personal learning and career plans.
• Adult programming will address remediation needs with upskill services, while simultaneously delivering regional training and work-based learning opportunities.
• Students will be supported in efforts to earn industry certificates, occupational endorsements, and associate degrees in career pathway programs.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 267 MB)

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians project will enhance and expand CTE services and resources to connect community members to CTE programs of study that fit their interests and align with regional occupational trends. The project will:

• Provide access to CTE that aligns to community member interests with high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations.
• Remove barriers toward obtaining employment in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations by enhancing support services and resources that increase community member participation in, and completion of, CTE programs of study.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 490 KB)

This project will significantly expand opportunities for STEM and computer science education for students at Little Wound High School by launching four academies of applied sciences. Upon successful completion, students will earn a distinction on their high school diploma, which will increase opportunities for postsecondary employment and attaining a career in a high-demand, high scale STEM occupation. This project will:

• Establish four STEM and computer science focused academies at Little Wound High School, enrolling 45 new students each year, focusing on:
  • Engineering Technologies,
  • Advanced and Applied Mathematics,
  • Applied Computer Science, and
  • Sciences and Technologies.

Recognize students who complete five classes related to their academy with a distinction on their diploma to demonstrate readiness for employment and higher education in STEM fields.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 215 KB)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, federally recognized since 1945, is self-governing tribe of 11,034 enrolled members, with about 9,700 living on or near the 35,000-acre Choctaw Indian Reservation in rural, east central Mississippi. The Choctaw CTE Program has operated continuously on the Choctaw Reservation since 1981. The project will:

• Increase the number of tribal students in attaining technical education which will lead to high paying jobs on the reservation.
• Prepare high school students for postsecondary studies leading to jobs in STEM fields.
• Upgrade computer skills of current tribal employees or those adults desiring jobs which require current computer skills.
• Support 18 students annually pursuing technical courses leading to a career certificate (30 credit hours), a technical certificate (45 credit hours) or an Associate of Applied Science degree (60 or 61 credit hours) at nearby community colleges.
• Provide training for 10 high school students annually in the High School Technology Program (2 credit hours toward graduation).
• Provide an Administrative Office Certificate for 20 adults annually.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 356 KB)

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Cedar Tree Project (CTP) will deliver A Native Leadership Dual Credit Experience. C.E.D.A.R. stands for Computer Science, Environment, Digital Arts, and Rigorous Coursework. Cedar is a significant plant to the Muckleshoot people as it is considered a sacred life giver, whose medicine and variety of uses bring a better quality of life. The project will provide life giving education and career skills to the Muckleshoot Tribal Community and will provide students with a seamless pathway to further their education and careers toward in-demand occupations:

• Computer Science and Information Technology, and
• Natural Resources.

This project will offer students:

• A pre-college preparation program with dual credit and high-quality online classes in math, sciences, and tribal entrepreneurship, in partnership with Northwest Indian College.
• Career and technology certifications and various computer science and cinematography certificates, in partnership with Green River College.
• Associate of Arts in Science Degree in Natural Resources, in partnership with Green River College.
• Nine-month Leadership Experience Program.

By incorporating the importance of Native methodologies, along with highly qualified Native and community staff, industry experts, distinguished educational partners, leadership development, and a ready student caseload, this project will initiate rigorous educational services which will lead directly to further education, a degree, employability skills and in-demand occupations.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 700 KB)

The Nez Perce Tribe in north central Idaho faces persistent poverty, high unemployment, and a primarily unskilled workforce. The region's manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, particularly in "rec-tech" industries related to recreation and manufacturing, such as boats, firearms, and technical gear. The Career Center of the Nez Perce Education Department Learn by Doing Program will service Tribal members who are interested in pursuing secondary and postsecondary CTE programs at either the Lewis-Clark State College or Walla Walla Community College Clarkston campus. The following programs of study will be offered:

• Manufacturing,
• Health Sciences or Services,
• Information Technology, and
• Hospitality.

The project will:

• Enroll 75 secondary and 95 postsecondary CTE students.
• Help students develop individual plans to build employability skills.
• Help eligible students apply for and receive financial assistance to offset the cost of education.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 509 KB)

The Northwest Indian College will prepare participants, not only through knowledge and skill in a trade, but also with the discipline, accountability, and dependability necessary to secure long-term employment.  The project’s model “Practice for Employment” requires participants to treat the training program like employment. Trainees will utilize a time clock, notifying instructor and staff of tardy arrival and attendance, and will pre-arrange any appointments that conflict with schedule training times. Much like employment, all participants will be expected to follow a code of conduct including expectations regarding appropriate communication, dress code, and conduct. The project’s programming will include a:

• One-year program in construction trades, with a series of courses in the area of carpentry using industry-recognized certifications through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER),
• One-year program in facilities maintenance, combining a series of courses in the aeras of carpentry and plumbing using industry-recognized certifications through the NCCER, and
• Two-year associate degree in entrepreneurship.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 502 KB)

The primary goal of this project is to enhance the NACTEP student retention model, administered by the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College of Fort Berthold Reservation. The project will partner with Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College CTE Advisory Board members to analyze the needs of the local tribal economy and job market. The goal is to support students who would not be able to pursue postsecondary training without assistance. This effort includes staff capacity, faculty support, and outreach to local high school students about CTE programs. The project has set targets to increase outreach and recruitment of secondary students, improve the persistence rate among student served, improve student completion, and improve the employability skills of students earning CTE credentials. Project activities will also increase staff capacity and include support staff to maintain and develop CTE curriculum.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 309 KB)

Oglala Lakota College is a tribally controlled university, chartered by the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The college serves the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations as well as towns near the Reservation including Rapid City, South Dakota. This project will:

• Increase opportunities for the chronically unemployed and underemployed, individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, out-of-workforce individuals and youth who are in or who have aged out of the foster care system and homeless.
• Graduate students with an Associate in Applied Science degree and place graduates in employment, military service, or further education in one of the following areas:
  • General Construction,
  • Electrical Technology,
  • Office, and 
  • Automotive Technology.
• Upgrade students’ technical and employability skills.
• Maintain qualified faculty.
• Strengthen existing apprenticeship and credentialing programs.
• Coordinate with student support programs.
• Utilize counseling and advising for creation of a career plan for employment and further education, leading to a degree, journeyman and/or contractor position, or owning own business.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 313 KB)

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe (PYT) Works! project will establish a CTE training and apprenticeship readiness pipeline for career pathways in:

• STEM,
• Computer Science,
• Health Science, and
• Applied Technology.

The project will:

• Develop emerging talent starting in 8th grade through adulthood, by equipping students with computer numerical control skills and qualifications needed to access high-wage, in-demand apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.
• Impact positively the economic health of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe by increasing the number of tribal members who attain quality employment in STEM related careers.
• Place an emphasis on targeting limited opportunity youth, underemployed and unemployed, and those confronting barriers to long-term unemployment as participants in this project.
• Leverage a large alliance of tribal and non-tribal partners to support the project’s participants. The project will establish three points of entry for the pipeline:
  • Junior Pre-Apprentice (8th Grade)
  • Emerging Pre-Apprentice (9th-12th Grade)
  • Advanced Pre-Apprentice (Adults)
• Enable participating community members to access more than 90 apprenticeships and job opportunities in STEM careers that pay well and empower people with financial and economic stability.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 770 KB)

The goal of the Pawnee Nation College Native Career Pathways Program is to ensure that Native American students maximize their educational and employment options as efficiently and as cost effectively as possible. This program will serve members of at least 14 Native American tribes and two area high schools through a robust network of partners including Meridian Technology Center, Pioneer Technology Center, and Oklahoma Works—a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Pawnee Nation will offer industry-recognized certifications for seven in-demand fields in computer science and healthcare; offer certifications in agricultural activities, and Associate of Arts degrees in Business Administration and Early Childhood Education. This project will:

• Increase the number of recognized postsecondary credentials earned by students by 20% over a five-year period.
• Increase the number of job placements in high-wage, in-demand fields by 20% over a five-year period.
• Increase the number of partnerships and programs to provide additional opportunities for CTE concentrators to earn appropriate credentials.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 426 KB)

Salish Kootenai College, the tribal college of the Flathead Indian Reservation, will improve CTE through a project designed to assist Native American students to Connect, Commit, and Complete educational credentials in two career clusters:  computer technologies and allied health. The project will serve a minimum of 70 Native American students per year, through direct instruction, career services and work-based learning, and provide other support services for successful program completion. This project aligns with the economic development priorities of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, as well as local and regional workforce demand. Programming will include relevant core academic and technical skills and result in recognized postsecondary credentials that lead to academic degrees that provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to gain employment in high-skill, high-wage, and/or in-demand fields.

The project will increase the rigor and relevance of existing programs and enhance opportunities for students to smoothly transition from high school through postsecondary degree programs and expand career pathways in the computer technologies and allied health career clusters, including implementing one new program in computer science, new credential bearing course sequences, new pathways courses including online classes, and new dual enrollment courses for high school students. Additionally, the program will provide professional development to ensure that programs integrate academic and career/technical components, meet the needs of diverse learners, and use current educational technologies.  

Project Narrative  (PDF, 265 KB)

Project Salamanca Agricultural Maker Initiative will provide a progressive distance learning CTE program modeled after the competency-based paradigm. This project will collaborate between the Seneca Nation and the Salamanca City Central School District. This project will target Native American students, with an emphasis on recruitment of Seneca students who live on or near to the Seneca Nation’s two residential territories – the Allegany Territory and Cattaraugus Territory – or who reside in or near the city of Buffalo, NY. This project will:

• Empower Seneca Nation youth with critical CTE workforce skills.
• Offer comprehensive, hands-on STEM learning experiences to Seneca youth.
• Increase the number of Indigenous students who will be well-prepared for the workforce in high paying, in-demand jobs.
• Provide Seneca students with the opportunity to earn a college certificate in:
  • Agricultural Landscape Technology,
  • Wildlife and Forestry Technology,
  • Electrical Code and Drone Inspections, or
  • Information Technology and Digital Forensics.
• Provide Seneca students with the opportunity to earn an associate degree in:
  • Manufacturing Technology,
  • Engineering Technology, or
  • Agricultural Business Management.
• Include industry-driven capstone activities and certification exams.
• Utilize a competency-based learning management platform and curriculum, which will allow students to work from home toward gaining competencies that employers are seeking.
• Provide resources, supplies, and equipment for student success.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 777 KB)

Sinte Gleska University is a tribally controlled institution of higher education. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Sinte Gleska University serves the Sicangu Lakota Oyate people and other residents located on and around the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota. At the heart of Sicangu Lakota Oyate economic development efforts, Sinte Gleska University offers programs of study ranging from certificate programs through baccalaureate degrees and serves the educational needs of adults to help meet workforce and labor market demands for skilled workers. The project will serve 750 students and will:

• Improve the quality of the University’s CTE programs to meet the workforce needs of local and tribal employers.
• Develop two short-term and two one-year certificate programs that meet local employer needs.
• Expand access to computer technology programs by developing the coursework for online delivery.
• Increase internship placements for students and enhance all CTE programs with adaptations that address regulations and best practices that are emerging from the pandemic.
• Improve outcomes for CTE students at Sinte Gleska University, leading to a 3 percent annual increase in student retention and completion and a 5 percent increase in the number of CTE students who receive a recognized postsecondary credential annually.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 308 KB)

This project will address urgent disparities on the Lake Traverse Reservation. This reservation is home to persons facing disproportionate challenges in higher education and hardships in relevant employment including deficiencies in academic preparedness, endemic poverty, as well as, lack of family support, due to high number of first generational post-secondary students. Sisseton Wahpeton College is poised to play a pivotal role in diminishing these inequities. By redesigning and expanding an existing building trades program, underprivileged learners can benefit within an ease-of-access solution, tailored specifically to meet housing and workforce needs on Lake Traverse Reservation. Similar experiential methods will employ workplace-ready skill sets for CTE programs in:

• Culinary Food Science,
• Multimedia Technology, and
• Nursing.

This project will implement a new strategic modular curriculum and help students gain salient, practical skills to serve their contiguous communities and to contribute to the transformation of their own lives. Utilizing skill-based competencies as on-ramp and off-ramp for units of instruction, the Sisseton Wahpeton College is targeting robust recruitment and retention.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 638 KB)

Sitting Bull College is a tribally controlled community college located on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Fort Yates, ND. This project will provide CTE training to a minimum of 60 students per year. This project will place a minimum of 80% of completers in gainful employment. The students will be trained in one or more of the following programs:

• Nursing,
• Criminal Justice/Lay Advocate,
• Information Technology,
• Electrical,
• Commercial Driver’s Licensure, and
• Heavy Equipment Operator.

Project Narrative (PDF, 506 KB)

The five Tribes that chartered South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency have a long history of marginalization and lack of educational and economic opportunity. This project will help the economic development goals of each Tribe. Tribal economic plans include:

• Building Construction,
• Design Planning,
• Natural Resources Management,
• Tribal Government and Economic Development, and
• Healthcare Services and Support for Aging Populations.

The vision for economic development is increasingly geared toward the fields of STEM. The Tribes aim to meet the growing need for a skilled workforce by providing education and training that is culturally competent and supportive of high school students, adult learners and special populations that include individuals who are also chronically unemployed or underemployed; individuals with disabilities; economically disadvantaged families; out-of-workforce individuals; youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system; and homeless individuals. This project will:

• Improve the well-being and economic stability of American Indian families and individuals through the provision of services designed to support individuals in the acquisition of the knowledge and skills necessary for successful careers in current or emerging professions, which may include high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand jobs.
• Improve employment options, increase CTE certifications, as well as completions of postsecondary education, enrollment in advanced training, military service, or other service program.
• Secure employment for participants in high-demand STEM careers, following the completion of CTE training. Participants will graduate from high school with postsecondary credits, work-based learning experience, employment or CTE credentials.
• Build the infrastructure and evaluation process to ensure participant success and continuous quality improvement.
• Work in collaboration with Workforce Development case managers, Tribal Administrators, Tribal Departments, Tribal Businesses, partner colleges and stakeholders within the community.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 10.9 MB)

This project will successfully meet the employment needs of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation with American Indian adults trained locally in high need areas. The project will develop and implement a comprehensive program to provide education, training, job readiness skills, and work experience to at least 52 participants with at least 90% successfully completing a certificate or degree, with an emphasis in the fields of:

• Natural Resource/Geospatial Technology,
• Mathematics,
• Computer Science,
• Allied Health,
• General Science,
• Pre-Engineering,
• Pre-Nursing,
• Certified Nursing Assistant,
• Accounting,
• Information Management, and
• Building Trades.

The project will provide career and guidance counseling, on the job training experiences, and continuing education placement services to a minimum of 52 students per year, with at least 90% being successfully placed in employment or further education.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 295 KB)

Chartered by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian Tribe in 1972, Turtle Mountain Community College is one of the original tribal colleges and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The goal of the project is to improve postsecondary CTE and strengthen STEM Pathways by redesigning curriculum, integrating traditional ways of learning, utilizing innovative practices, providing support to barriers, stacking credentials to provide multiple entry/exit points, and upgrading simulations and work-based learning to better prepare participants for workplace requirements in the fields of:

• Building Construction Technology,
• Cybersecurity/Data Privacy, and
• Small Business/Entrepreneurship.

Pathways will prepare 375 Native American students to be highly qualified to meet present and future tribal/local workforce needs as they attain a recognized postsecondary credential. Each STEM-infused enhanced CTE pathway offers industry-recognized certifications, certificates, and Associate of Applied Science degrees that can be articulated to a baccalaureate degree. This project will provide CTE instruction, work-based learning, and job-readiness services for students and over the course of the project:

• At least 80% of eligible CTE concentrators will receive a recognized postsecondary credential.
• At least 75% of CTE concentrators will remain enrolled in postsecondary education, in advanced training, military service, a service program, or will be employed. 

Project Narrative  (PDF, 761 KB)

The Virginia Tribal Education Consortium CTE Project will prepare all Native American participants to meet academic and technical standards for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry and occupations. This project will provide eligible students with stipends and direct assistance to participate in rigorous standards-based courses. Additionally, the project will hire local Native American staff.

This project will provide:

• Rigorous standard-based academic content and relevant technical knowledge and skills.
• Competency-based, work-based, or other applied learning.
• Career and postsecondary advising to participants.
• Career exploration ranging from middle to the high school level.
• Access to educational services that enable students to succeed in CTE programs.
• STEM education, especially computer science.
• Access to the ACT WorkKeys curriculum.
• Academic and career interest counseling.
• Postsecondary educational and financial counseling.
• Paid and unpaid work-based learning experiences in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries and occupations.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 565 KB)

The Winnebago CTE project will support efforts to ready primarily low-income Native Americans to fill high demand and/or high-wage jobs in the Dakota or Thurston County, Nebraska, or Woodbury County, Iowa area. This project will continue the Tribe’s efforts to provide CTE education and training opportunities, which primarily served adult participants in the Winnebago area. The Winnebago CTE project seeks to enhance those efforts by conducting a feasibility study in year 1, in order to engage a younger population and offer additional CTE opportunities in STEM- and computer science-based fields. This project will access and complete appropriate education and skill building STEM-related education/career tracks necessary to obtain credentials and quality employment within five years. The project will:

• Enroll 100 Native American students, with two-thirds of student participants completing a course of study and attaining industry-recognized credentials, certification/licensing, or associate degree.
• Ensure 75% of participants complete a course of study and are placed in a job, upgrade their job, or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.
• Train three project administrator/counselors in case management and work readiness curriculum.
• Engage students in an intense orientation that will provide a strong start and will assist in establishing educational goals and benchmarks.
• Provide students necessary tools and supports to be fully engaged in an educational pursuit with a positive and respectful state of mind toward those educational goals.
• Link students with educational partners.
• Provide follow-up supports and encouragement.
• Make contacts with employers for job placement.
• Provide supports and encouragement in attaining a job or continuing education toward a higher degree in a chosen career field.

A clear set of policies and procedures will be developed and adopted to support these efforts. Staff will receive professional development in the areas of case management and work-ready curriculum delivery. Careers will include:

• STEM and Computer Science,
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC),
• Electrical Systems, and
• Industrial Mechanics.

Project Narrative  (PDF, 303 KB)

The Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) is a tribally-controlled community college, chartered in 1983 by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council (FBICC), which serves as the governing body of the Aaniinen and Nakoda nations of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. ANC received its initial accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 1993, and was most recently reaffirmed in 2017.

In accordance with its mission, ANC offers seven Associate of Arts (AA) degree programs, three Associate of Science (AS) degree programs, two Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs, one Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, and four one-year certificate programs, as well as several short-term (less than one year) certification programs.

The ANC Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) Project will train 45 students annually over the 36-month NACTEP project period.

Project training programs include:

• Health Careers
• Building Technology
• Business
• Computer Technology
• Environmental Science

Support services include: professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, academic advising and career counseling, classroom-directed field experiences, summer employment opportunities, job placement services, transfer assistance, and direct financial support. The project will accomplish the following objectives:

• Each year, at least 45 full-time students will be served;
• Over the course of the project period, at least 85 percent of all project participants will successfully complete their training program; and
• Over the course of the project period, at least 75 percent of all project completers will either be placed in employment, transfer to a baccalaureate institution, or enlist in military service.

The Alamo Navajo School Board, Inc. (ANSBI) is a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization and operates under resolutions from the Alamo Navajo Community and from the Navajo Tribe. ANSBI was organized within the Alamo Navajo Chapter Community to establish and operate Federal and State programs that serve the people of Alamo under Contracts, Grants, or Cooperative or Joint Powers Agreements.

The ANSBI NACTEP project will provide career and technical education (CTE) training to 163 students in the following areas:

• Administrative Office Assistant
• Early Childhood Education
• Construction Technology
• EMT-Basic
• First Responder
• EMT-Intermediate
• Commercial Bus Driver's License (Class B)
• Commercial Driver's License (Class A)
• Heavy Equipment Operator Training
• Forest Workers Safety Certification

The ANSBI NACTEP project expects that a minimum of 90 percent of enrolled NACTEP students will complete their training programs and 90 percent or more of completers will be placed in employment, upgraded in employment positions, or transfer to institutions of higher learning.

The Blackfeet Community College is a 1994 Land Grant College, accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The goal of the Blackfeet Native American Career and Technical Education Program (BNACTEP) – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project is to provide quality postsecondary education in five (5) degree and certificate programs to Native Americans residing on or near the Blackfeet Reservation that prepares them with meaningful employment opportunities in industry-related careers and emerging professions while focusing on STEM related courses.

This project will train a total of 120 students over the 3-year project period. Over the 3-year project period, 60 students will attain industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees in the five (5) curricula that are aligned with challenging academic standards:

• One-year certificate Hydrology Aid
• One-year certificate GIS/GPS
• Associate of Science Hydrology Technician
• One-year certificate Tribal Legal Studies
• Associate of Science Tribal Legal Studies

The project will provide career guidance and academic counseling to 80 percent of BNACTEP-STEM students per year and placement services will be provided to 100 percent of completers, with 80 percent placed in employment, additional education or the military. The project also will provide 60 percent of the BNACTEP-STEM students with work-related experience such as supervised occupational experience, on-the-job training experience, and/or field experience.

The Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC) is a tribally-controlled college, established to provide higher education opportunities to Native American students. CCCC serves the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation and is located in Fort Totten, North Dakota. The College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as an associate degree and certificate-granting institution.

The CCCC NACTEP project will offer career and technical education and training opportunities to 84 students over a three-year period. Over the three-year project period, the 84 NACTEP students will be served in Carpentry (36), Professional Driver Training (36), and Network Administrator (12). At least 70 percent of students will complete their educational goals. Over the three-year period, 80 percent of students will attain industry certification in one or more areas. Eighty percent of qualified graduates will obtain employment in the field of training or enter advanced degree programs.

The project is designed to create a skilled workforce based on needs for the Spirit Lake Tribe, the reservation community, as well as the regional job market. The NACTEP project is vital and important to CCCC in preparing students for employability and provides resources toward student success.

CCCC also provides professional development and curriculum modification and improvement, as required. Students will receive a certificate or degree after completion of the program. To help students successfully complete the program, CCCC will offer tuition, stipends, and job placement assistance.

Cherokee Nation Career Services provides job-specific technical training for work in the trades the Nation’s 14-county jurisdictional area. These programs generally focus on providing students with hands-on instruction and can lead to certification, a diploma or certificate. Career and technical training give students an edge in job searches since they already have the certifiable knowledge, they need to enter the field.

In accordance with its mission, the Cherokee Nation Career Services proposed to provide career and technical training in two areas: Business Technology and Child Development. The program offers training in the following areas:

• Clinical Medical Assistant
• Culinary Arts
• Electrical Wiring
• Facilities Maintenance
• Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide
• Office Administration

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Career and Technical Education’s Choctaw: STEM project is designed to accomplish the goal of providing American Indian individuals with high-quality career and technical education, focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math programs that result in an industry-recognized credential, certificate, or degree so that participants are equipped to secure employment in high-growth, high demand occupations.

The program has a working partnership with 11 approved institutions and through these colleges and technical centers, Choctaw: STEM participants can pursue careers in STEM related areas, including: Computer Science, Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapy Assistant, Radiology Technician, Information Technician, Electrical Construction Technician, High Voltage, Computer and Network Technology, Construction Management Technician, Natural Gas Compression, Automotive Technician, and Welding.

Choctaw Nation Career and Technical Education Choctaw: STEM Project will serve approximately 72 Native American students annually, including through STEM Summer Camps and Cisco Certified Network Associate Boot Camps.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Reservation is located in Northern Idaho. The Tribe is the number one employer in Benewah County, employing over 725 people in six major businesses, which are under the leadership of the seven-member Tribal Council with each entity having its own governance structure.

The project will enroll 110 students in regionally accredited technical programs designed to provide individuals with industry-recognized, state-of-the-art job-specific skills. Training will be provided through North Idaho College, University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark College, Washington State University, and Plummer/Worley School District. Students will enroll in dual credit programs.

The project will offer certificates and two-year degrees in the following career and technical education (CTE) areas:

• Health Care Technology
• Business Leadership
• Computer and Technology
• Natural Resources
• Trade and Industry
• Carpentry and Construction Programs

Additionally, the Tribe will implement a Career and College Guidance Program to advance tribal employees in their current positions.

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is an accredited tribally-controlled community college, which has two campuses in Keshena and Green Bay, WI. This project’s goal is to create and document a Program Management Review process to update existing programs; develop two new technical education programs in Records and Information Management and Woods Manufacturing Technologist; and expand accessibility of trades, technology, and STEM related courses to all students with a focus on non-traditional, first-generation, underrepresented students through multiple means of access, assessment, and engagement.

The majority of the of the college’s students come from Shawano, Brown, and Menominee County. With increased recruitment efforts, it is anticipated that there will be 102 students enrolled into these technical education programs and activities each year. Student enrollment outcome for the three-year period is expected to be as follows:

• Number of enrolled students – 435 Full Time Students.
• Number of students to complete training programs – 282.
• Number of students to be placed in employment, military, or apprenticeships – 180.
• Number of full-time students to be retained – 70.

The two new technical education programs in Records and Information Management and Woods Manufacturing Technologist will be added to the existing NACTEP training programs, which include:

• Business Office Technician
• Electricity Helper
• Welder

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) proposes to increase the percentage of Alaska Native adults in the greater Anchorage Metro Area who pursue continuing education opportunities by recruiting and enrolling 25 participants in CITC’s Industry and Technology Training (CITC ITT) program annually. CITC will provide career and technical education skill proficiencies, aligned with industry-recognized standards, to 95 percent of participating students. CITC will ensure that 85 percent of its enrolled students will be placed in a job, upgraded in a job, or retain employment.

CITC’s career and technical education program training areas will include:

• Professional Truck Driver
• Welding, Service Oiler
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• Health Safe and Environmental Technician
• Project Management
• ATV Mechanic
• Outboard Mechanic
• Hazardous Waste Operations

The Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) is a Tribal consortium of ten Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascan Tribes from the upper Yukon River drainage in Northeast Alaska. CATG and the University of Alaska, College of Rural and Community Development, Interior Alaska Campus (UAF, CRCD, IAC) have collaborated during the last five years on the Daa Łaraadaa: We Go Forward NACTEP grant to develop and implement comprehensive CTE and training to meet the workforce needs of this region.

The seven identified Career Pathways are:

• Health and Human Services
• Applied Business
• Education
• Tribal Management
• Construction Trades Technology
• Emergency Services/Wildland
• Fire Science
• Technical Trades

Career pathways provide industry-recognized credentials and occupational endorsements as a stepping stone to certificates, associate degrees and further, given that many associate degrees articulate into bachelor’s degree programs within the University of Alaska system of campuses.

CATG’s primary goal is to strengthen the skills, knowledge and leadership of the Tribal workforce to improve local economies in the Yukon Flats.

To meet this goal, CATG has developed three primary courses of action, which include:

• Maintain partnerships to plan and deliver industry training and education;
• Provide student support, deliver CTE programming and leadership courses and foster employment; and
• Strengthen staff capacity through professional development.

The Coyote Canyon Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (CCRC) provides career and technical education to Navajo adults with developmental disabilities. Annually, CCRC averages sixty (60) individuals to be trained.

CCRCs currently has in place successful career and technical education training components that support the CCRC Café and Catering, CCRC Vending, CCRC Farming, CCRC Arts Program, CCRC Janitorial, Maintenance and Custodial, and Commercial Cleaning Services, CCRC Brimhall Post Office, and CCRC Trading Post to open in 2018.

Of the 180 CCRC students to be trained over 3 years of the NACTEP grant, 100 percent of the students will complete their training (180) and CCRC will place 80 percent (144 students) in employment positions within surrounding Navajo community businesses.

The Fairbanks Native Association (FNA) is located in Fairbanks, Alaska. The overarching project goal is to provide a systematic approach to engage students in career and technical education and to ensure AN/AI students receive the support and guidance they need to obtain the education, skills, training, experience and credentials required to be competitively employable and successful in the Allied Health field, a high-skill, high-demand, high-wage industry.

The project will partner with the University of Alaska at Fairbanks to provide career and technical training which will result in post-secondary credits for participating students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District.

FNA will provide training in the Allied Health Care field to include the following areas:

• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Medical Assistant Certification Program
• Medical/Dental Reception Certification Program
• Pre-Nursing Certification Program
• Health Care Reimbursement
• Medical Coding/Occupational Endorsement Program
• Medical Billing
• Computer Technology

Students will receive industry-recognized credentials, one-year certifications or two-year associate degrees. To achieve this goal, the program will use Tech Prep courses for students to attain post-secondary credits and industry-recognized certifications. Seventy-two (72) students will receive training in the Allied Health Care field.

The Fort Peck Community College (FPCC) is a tribally-controlled college, chartered by the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes to serve the people of the Fort Peck Reservation, located in northeastern Montana.

FPCC is accredited by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities and offers two-year associate degrees and one-year certificate programs in ten career and technical education programs.

The areas of training will include:

• Automotive Technology
• Business Technology
• Diesel Technology
• Pre-Nursing
• Truck Driving Program
• Computer Technology (Network Support and Graphic/Web Design)
• Welding Technology

The project will enhance the programs of study by ensuring that each offer industry-recognized credentials and/or certifications. The Placement and Career Services Center will assist graduating students in finding jobs or transferring to a four-year institution. In addition, the college will provide opportunities for high school students to earn college credit through Early College and dual credit programs. FPCC proposes to enroll 130 students during the 2018-2019 project period.

The Haida Cooperative Association will develop the Haida Reboot Career and Technical Education Center in Hydaburg City, Alaska, in response to the Community Development Plan, and the need of the surrounding communities.

The University of Alaska Ketchikan and Sitka and the University of Alaska Community and Technical Colleges have committed to working with the Hydaburg City School District to provide welding, fisheries, maritime and construction trade certifications.

Additionally, the Haida Cooperative Association will train 100 students, who will receive AAS degrees in the following areas:

• Management
• IT Specialist (Computing Technology, Network and Cybersecurity, Network and Systems Administration)
• Welding Technology

The Haida Reboot will also focus on coursework for high school students and adults, resulting in industry-recognized certifications for unfilled occupations and career opportunities on Prince of Wales Island.

The project will hire a career counselor to assist students in successfully completing their programs by providing support services, such as child care, stipends, transportation and placing students in high paying careers with job security and growth potential.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe will operate the Hoopa Career and Technical Education Program (HCTEP) in partnership with the Klamath-Trinity instructional site of the Eureka-based College of the Redwoods.

CTE training provided by HCTEP will include the following:

• Specialized STEM vocations
• Natural Resources/Forestry Technology
• Small Business Management
• Computer Information System
• Early Childhood Education
• Tribal Management

Students will earn an industry-recognized certificate or two-year associate degree. After completion of the program, graduates will be placed in Tribal Enterprise jobs, Head Start, child care centers, water authorities, and upper management positions. The NACTEP project will train 100 students per year and 70 percent of the participants will earn a certificate or degree.

Kawerak, Inc. is a nonprofit tribal consortium in the Bering Strait Region and is governed by a 23-member Board of Directors, composed entirely of the three Alaska Native indigenous groups, residing in the Bering Strait Region villages.

Kawerak, Inc. has developed the Kawerak Aviation Pathways Project to prepare junior and high school students for entry into higher education in the aviation field. The project will address this need by partnering with Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center, a secondary level Regional Training Center in Nome, Alaska. The Aviation industry impacts every sector of Alaska’s economy and is critical to the livelihood of the surrounding communities that are not on a main road system. Students will receive industry-recognized credentials, through six new Aviation Maintenance and Pilot pathways dual credit classes, leading to post-secondary study. This project will serve 565 Alaska Native students, including 350 students in 7th and 8th grades, 150 students in 9th and 10th grades, and 65 students in 11th and 12th grades.

Basic and Advanced Aviation Training Devices are integral technologies to delivering the Pilot pathways training, initially as a career exploratory training tool and later as a FAA approved flight training device.

The Aviation Maintenance strand will be supported with the re-fabrication of an inoperative airplane, with students working under a certified Airframe & Power Plant Mechanic, gaining technical skills, knowledge, and confidence for future success.

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB) was developed in 2008 to ensure career and technical education (CTE) services existed to meet the training needs for the Tribal community, supporting the employment and economic needs of and for the Tribe.

LTBB will provide CTE training and services to 300 participants over the 3-year period of its NACTEP project, which will include the following CTE training programs:

• Certificates - Computer Science, Medical Assistant, and Medical Office Programs.
• Associate Degrees - Waganakising Odawa Career and Technical Education Program will enhance program offerings to include the following associate degree programs, in addition to current/new certificate programs: Business Administration; Computer Information Systems; Construction Technology; Criminal Justice; and Early Childhood Education.

LTBB has established a 70 percent completion rate for enrolled certificate and/or degree-seeking NACTEP students.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) is a Federally-recognized self-governing tribe consisting of 10,700 enrolled members, with 8,559 living on or near the 34,000-acre Choctaw Indian Reservation in east central Mississippi. The Choctaw Career and Technical Education Program has operated continuously on the reservation since 1981.

The Choctaw Career and Technical Education Program (CTEP) operated continuously on the Reservation since 1981. Specific Choctaw Career and Technical Education Program (CTEP) goals include: (1) To enroll 312 tribal members in training components for jobs which exist on the reservation and for which there are insufficient numbers of tribal members with the career and technical education competencies needed to occupy those positions. (2) To ensure that 70% of enrolled NACTEP students complete certificate or degree-seeking training programs, and (3) To ensure that 80% of participants, who complete their training programs, are placed in employment or advanced training programs. Also, ensure that high school students and adult Administrative Office Management students will continue educational pursuits or gain employment.

The CTEP will support 312 students in the following areas of CTE training:

• Community College training in RN and LPN Nursing Programs;
• Community College training in Culinary Arts Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management Technology;
• Automotive Technology;
• Certificate training in Carpentry, Health Care Data, Accounting Technology, and Administrative Office Technology;
• Adult Business & Computer Technology Programs; and
• Certificate CTE High School Technology Training Programs for secondary students.

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (MIT) will carry out a three-year program, Native Technology PLUS (NT+), to advance the postsecondary career and technical education skills of adult community members to meet the challenging standards demanded by employers in the state of Washington. MIT intends to be economically competitive in the fast growing high-tech market of the Puget Sound region. The proposed program will prepare individuals for high-wage, highly-skilled, and in-demand information technology (IT) occupations in Washington State.

The new NT+ Program will include a nationally recognized Associate in Applied Science (AAS) – Transfer Degree in IT Systems and Security and several certificate programs in IT in partnership with Green River College (GRC). The over-arching goal is to provide opportunities for students to earn an associate’s degree, and career-ready skills and training. This will lead to employment in IT careers or the ability for students to transfer to other higher education opportunities.

The project will help students explore their options for IT careers through certification, an associate’s degree, preparation to enter a bachelor’s degree program at GRC, or transfer for further study at a four–year college or university in an IT-related field. It also will enable students to complete an AAS degree in IT Systems and Security conferred by GRC, through instruction conducted entirely at Muckleshoot Tribal College (MTC), by MTC or GRC instructors.

The enrollment, completion, and placement goals for Project Years 1 – 3 are as follows:

• AAS Degree in IT Systems and Security from Green River College: 40 students will enroll; 80 percent will complete; and the placement rates will be 80 percent in year 1, 82 percent in year 2, and 83 percent in year 3.
• Certification of students in the NT+ Standalone Certification Preparation Program: 67 students will enroll; 80 percent will complete; and the placement rates will be 80 percent in year 1, 82 percent in year 2, and 83 percent in year 3.

The Northwest Indian College (NWIC) is the only accredited tribal college in the Pacific Northwest, and is located on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington State, 20 miles south of the Canadian border. After a name change to Northwest Indian College in 1989, the college was granted accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) in 1993 and in 2010 was approved as a baccalaureate granting institution.

The Northwest Indian College in this proposed Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) project will have two primary focuses. The first is to provide a “Practice for Employment” environment. The second is to provide value to prospective employers.

The NACTEP training programs will include the following CTE Programs:

• Construction Trades Core - The Core class is an introduction to construction basics. It provides to the participants a strong foundation and understanding of basic construction principals as well as safety and introduction to construction math.
• Construction Trades Carpentry 1a & 1b – This National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) CTE program will span two quarters and include rigorous academic instruction using the NCCER curriculum, combined with fast-paced hands-on learning in the shop and in the field.
• Cabinetry - The Cabinetry course spans one quarter and will round out our one-year Construction Trades program. The cabinetry offering is intended to introduce an understanding of finish carpentry.
• Industrial Entry - NWIC NACTEP will facilitate Industrial Entry courses, which will be short (l day to l week) "Fast Track" courses which will provide necessary industry-recognized credentials leading to immediate employability. The courses will be offered based upon industry and employer demand and will be able to take place within days of when job openings are announced. Offerings will include: Refinery Safety Overview (RSO), Asbestos Abatement, HazWOPER, First Responder, Hazmat, Flagging, and Contractor Safety Training Overview (C-STOP).

The Oglala Lakota College (OLC) was chartered by the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) in 1971 to provide higher education and study and teach the Lakota culture and language on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota (SD).

OLC will improve the career and technical education programs by continuing to upgrade the technical skills and employability of graduates through strengthening the association with the apprenticeship programs of the Associated General Contractors of SD for General Construction and the SD Electrical Commission for Electrical Technology.

OLC will train 155 students, who will earn either a certificate or degree in:

• Automotive Technology;
• Electrical Technology;
• Construction Trades;
• Office Technology;
• Commercial Driver’s License;
• Emergency Medical Technician;
• Medical Coding; or
• Certified Nursing Assistant.

In support of the Tribal Economic Development Plan, employment will be near or on the Reservation. Upon their completion of the program, OLC will place students in employment with housing contractors and other businesses on the Reservation.

The Owens Valley Career Development Center (OVCDC) has been a cornerstone for tribes throughout Inyo and Mono Counties of California since 1976 providing tribal social services and training for 42 years. OVCDC has worked in partnership with Cerro Coso Community College for many years.

In program year 2018-2019, OVCDC will set an annual goal of enrolling 130 students in six career and technical education clusters, including:

• Information Technology;
• Business;
• Allied Health;
• Human Service;
• Construction Technology; and
• Early Childhood Education.

These six clusters specifically focus on career development opportunities that are growing in the greater Inyo-Mono communities of California. These two counties, encompassing 13,170 square miles, are the home for seven Federally-recognized tribes, all of which are part of OVCDC’s consortium and service area.

The second and third annual goals of the OVCDC NACTEP project are as follows: (2) to document the completion of coursework and certificates or degrees by 104 students (80 percent; and (3) to place 91 of completers (70 percent) in employment, advancement in their current jobs, continuing education, or military service.

The goal of Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s (PYT) NACTEP Springboard Network Project is to establish a sustainable CTE network to increase access to CTE training for its participants, so that the students will earn industry-recognized credentials that lead to high wage/high demand jobs, which are available within the tribe and the surrounding communities.

Therefore, PYT’s primary objective is to recruit a minimum of 255 project participants (85 annually) to enroll in high wage/demand STEM related occupations that result in 80 percent of project participants completing CTE training and attaining industry-recognized credentials in the following CTE programs of study:

• Health Sciences;
• Construction/Building and Applied Sciences;
• Computer Science;
• Transportation Programs; and
• Hospitality/Business Management Program.

Remaining project objectives include:

• Assign 100 percent of enrolled project participants a completion coach and industry specific mentor volunteer to provide guidance and support for the duration of CTE training;
• Establish a CTE support Coalition, comprised of tribal resource agencies, that meets regularly, to coordinate efforts to bridge gaps in support services and resources to project participants enrolled in CTE training;
• Establish an Industry Engagement Advisory Board, comprised of tribal and local community employers and economic development stakeholders, to develop partnerships to access industry related engagement opportunities for project participants before, during, and after CTE training; and
• Ensure that 80 percent of project participants who complete CTE training and earn industry-recognized credentials will obtain high wage/high demand employment within 90 days of completion of CTE training.

The Pawnee Nation College (PNC), located in Pawnee, Oklahoma, sits in a seven-county area in Northern Oklahoma, predominantly rural area. Each of the career and technical education (CTE) programs selected to be provided to PNC’s enrolled NACTEP students has been selected to match the needs of the seven-county areas and the expertise and facilities available at Pawnee Nation College.

PNC will offer the following CTE Certificate and Associate Degree programs to its NACTEP students:

• Certified Nursing Assistant;
• Phlebotomy;
• Medical Scribe;
• Certified Medication Aide in Health Care;
• Computer Sciences (including certification in CompTIA fundamentals and a CompTIA A+ certification in computer science;
• Business Administration; and
• Early Childhood Development.

PNC proposes to train 50 students annually with a total of 150 students to receive CTE training by the end of the 36-month period.

The Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is a tribally-controlled college chartered in 1977 under the authority of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, a federally-recognized Indian tribe located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana.

The college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities at the bachelor’s degree level, which encompasses career and technical education programs offering associate degrees, technical skill credentials, and certificates of completion.

The college proposes to offer training to 80 tribal members in the following career clusters:

• Computer Technologies;
• Allied Health/Nursing Career Pathway;
• Certified Nursing Assistant;
• Emergency Services Program;
• Medical Billing and Coding;
• Medical Assisting Program;
• Dental Assisting Technology;
• Nursing Associate of Science (A.S.);
• Digital Media Technology;
• Information Technology; and
• Digital Fabrication.

After completion of the associate degree, students can opt for job placement, or can matriculate to advanced degree programs to complete their bachelor degrees. Also, SKC offers dual enrollment courses for high school students.

The Sinte Gleska University (SGU) is a tribally-controlled institution of higher education and was chartered by Sicangu Lakota Oyate (federally-recognized as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe) in 1970 as one of the first tribally-controlled colleges in the nation. It has been offering classes since February 2, 1971. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and serves the Sicangu Lakota Oyate (people) and other residents located on and around the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota.

Students will earn a certificate or degree in the following CTE programs:

• Building Trades;
• Business Technology;
• Hospitality Management;
• Information technology;
• Nurse Assistant/Medication Aide;
• Construction Technology;
• Computer Technology; and
• Practical Nursing.

The project proposes to develop stackable programs of study. SGU will enroll 185 students per year in the Native American Career and Technical Education Program. All of the programs will integrate career readiness skills, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship competencies.

Upon completion of the certificate or degree and certification process, students will be placed in jobs identified by tribal and regional economic development planners. Dedicated institutional support resources along with professional development for faculty are intended to help improve outcomes for CTE students at SGU.

Sitting Bull College (SBC) is a tribally-controlled community college located on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota. The major purpose of SBC’s NACTEP proposed project is to provide career and technical education (CTE) training during the 36-month project period in the following areas:

• Nursing;
• Criminal Justice/Lay Advocate;
• Information Technology;
• Welding Program, and
• Electrical Program.

SBC’s NACTEP project will train 60 students, annually over the 36-month project period. It expects that approximately 35 percent of enrolled students will complete their training in the five (5) CTE Programs. Additionally, SBC proposes to place 80 percent of the students who successfully complete their CTE training programs, in employment or advanced higher education institutions.

The Stone Child College (SCC) is a tribally-controlled community college, chartered by the Chippewa Cree Business Committee, and is accredited by the Northwest Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

During the project period of October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019, SCC will implement a comprehensive Native American Career and Technical Education Program which will provide job readiness skills, and work experience to at least fifty (50) participants in the following career and technical education (CTE) areas:

• Natural Resources
• Geospatial Technology
• Water Operation
• Wastewater Operation
• Computer Science
• Allied Health
• General Science
• Customer Service/Hospitality
• Pre-Engineering
• Pre-Nursing

Ninety (90) percent of participants will successfully complete a certificate or associate degree program.

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington is collaborating with Everett Community College and the Tulalip Tribal Employment Rights Office to prepare eligible individuals for administrative and management positions in Information Technology (IT).

The following IT career options will be offered to NACTEP students:

• Computer Support Specialist Certificate;
• Systems Administrator Certificate;
• Network Administrator Certificate; and
• Cybersecurity Support Technician Certificate Program.

Students will also attain an Associate in Technical Arts (ATA) degree in the IT field. The college will provide certified instructors and accredited curriculum for the respective courses. Each course provides work-ready certificates and leads to higher-level certificates, including two-year ATA degrees.

The project will also enable Tribal employees to be retained or be promoted in their current positions. The project will serve 60 students in State-accredited information technology classes. Students will be referred to Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) for assistance with job placement.

The Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) is a tribally-controlled postsecondary institution, chartered by the Turtle Mountain (TM) Band of Chippewa Indians in 1972 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

TMCC will offer training in the following CTE areas:

• Computer Systems Administrator (Web Design, Network Administrator and Cyber Security);
• Construction Technology (emphasis on green technology and energy efficient construction);
• Welding Technology (emphasis on manufacturing and Computer Numeric Controlled Technology); and
• Entrepreneur Certificate with the option to ladder into an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting.

Career and technical education will be provided to 225 individuals over the three-year grant period that responds to labor market needs identified in the Turtle Mountain Economic Development Plan and Promise Zone Plan.

Successful students will receive industry-recognized credentials, certificates of completion, associate degrees, placement in employment, or additional education.

Additionally, the CTE programs meet national credentialing standards and directly result in industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or associate degrees for participants with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) knowledge and skills woven throughout to prepare them for high demand careers.