The parent committee of the Bethel Indian Education program is planning how to use federal grant money to enhance the academic and cultural lives of Native American youth in the county’s public schools.

KLCC’s Jes Burns went to the U of O’s Many Nations Long House to learn more.

Reporter:

While Eugene’s Bethel school district is the largest represented in this Indian Ed Consortium, the group also includes schools in Crow-Applegate-Lorane, Creswell, Fern Ridge, Junction City, Lowell, Pleasant Hill, and South Lane.  This coming academic school year, the group will receive approximately 170-thousand dollars in grant money to serve more than 750 students.  Parent Committee member Aleta Miller says part of the goal is to boost the number of kids involved in the Indian Ed program – and to help them succeed.

“We’d certainly like to develop our tutoring services that are available to participants in the program more than we have this year.”

In Bethel, Native American students graduate at a rate 12% lower than other students.

In addition to funding cultural programs, the grant will allow the group to hire 6 tutors to serve the 8 districts.