Indigenous youth will have better college preparation and access, under a three-year, grant-funded initiative. Two Oregon colleges and a Native American tribe are involved.
The $289,000 grant will help Oregon State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College develop programs for pre-college students. The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians are partners. Its Director of Education, Joshua Davies, says native perspectives will benefit these institutions.
“It’d be nice if other Oregon universities and colleges partake in something like this, to where more people would be able understand what it takes to be a steward of the land,” said Davies.
Meanwhile Jeff Sherman, OSU’s principal investigator on the USDA grant, says this initiative will open up more pathways to college for Indigenous people.
“We’re going to be providing funds for scholarships, transition support, mentoring opportunities and internship opportunities for students.”
OSU’s fall 2019 enrollment shows only .5% of students identified as native, well below the state’s percentage of nearly 2%.
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