EIR Grant Award Announcement - January 13, 2025
Chugachmiut is excited to announce that our Education Department has received a $5.8 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This five-year grant will fund the Chugach Identity Project to support Alaska Native high school students in grades 9-12. By fostering resilience and cultural identity through social-emotional learning activities, the project will serve 75 students in rural and remote schools, including those in the Native Village of Nanwalek and Qutekcak Native Tribe in Seward, Alaska.
The Chugach Identity Project will adapt the Identity Project curriculum and educator program using Sugpiaq and Eyak traditions. Materials from this project will be openly available to the public to encourage educational innovation and equity. Students enrolled in these classes will strengthen their cultural connections, enhance their academic engagement, and develop storytelling skills rooted in their heritage.
We are excited to collaborate with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Identity Project to deliver this program. Additionally, we are working with Dr. Heather Gordon and the Alaska Technology Development Group to evaluate its effectiveness.
