Newly Re-established White House Initiative Office to Seek Ideas on Native American Education: Officials representing the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education are hosting a series of forums around the country in the coming weeks seeking ideas on how to improve educational outcomes for indigenous populations.
In hopes of gaining participation and input from tribal nations, the upcoming meetings dovetail with efforts to create a memorandum of understanding that will frame a partnership aimed at expanding educational opportunities and improving academic achievement. The Department of Education and Department of Interior, which oversee the initiative, already have held roundtables with tribal leaders, Indian educators and other federal officials.
The initiative seeks to close the achievement gap between Indian and non-Indian students, reduce the high dropout rates among Alaska natives and Indians, and help preserve and revitalize Native languages, histories and cultures.
