Tunica-Biloxi Tribe awarded $2.3 million education grant

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana $2.3 million to provide native students with the resources that will help them be college and career-ready, officials announced Thursday. 

The tribe will spend the four-year federal grant on measures that will reduce drop-out rates and improve school graduation rates for students on the Tunica-Biloxi Reservation and in Avoyelles Parish, according to a release. 

"Education holds a great value, and we believe it lays the foundation for shaping the lives of our tribal youth," said Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana chairman Joey Barbry. "We are grateful for this contribution and look forward to leveling the playing field and arming our tribal students with the knowledge and learning tools needed to succeed."

Through Native Youth Community Projects grants, The Department of Education, along with the Obama administration, is allocating a total of $18.2 million for community-led projects aimed at helping American Indian and Alaska Native students become college-and career-ready. Each grant will support a coordinated approach chosen by community partners including tribes, local schools and other organizations. 

The Department is awarding grants to 32 recipients in 13 states impacting 30 tribes and 48 schools.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, under the direction of grant project director and Tunica-Biloxi tribal member John Barbry,  plans to partner with the Avoyelles Parish School Board, Inter-Tribal Council of Louisiana, Institute for Indian Development, Tulane University and the Tunica-Biloxi Vocational Rehabilitation Program.