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DENVER, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced a grant award of $5,000,000 to the American Indian College Fund to establish four early childhood development centers to be located at tribal colleges and universities and serving Native children.

The program, titled Wakanyeja "Sacred Little Ones" Early Childhood Development Initiative, will span a five-year period and is intended to improve young Native students' skill acquisition; prepare them for grades K-12 and post-secondary education; improve the quality of early childhood teachers in Native communities through partnership opportunities with post-secondary teacher training programs at the tribal colleges; bridge early childhood and K-3 education; integrate Native language and culture into early childhood curriculum; and empower Native families and communities as change agents in education for their children.

Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, "The generosity of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will help transform learning opportunities for young Native children who are vulnerable in Indian Country. By providing the opportunity for our communities to focus on high quality early childhood development, the Fund, in partnership with our tribal colleges, will pave the way for these children not just to succeed, but to excel in K-12 and post-secondary education.  This exciting initiative furthers the ability of our tribal colleges to enhance intellectual capacity in our communities while expanding their vital role in Indian communities."

All U.S.-based tribal colleges and universities are eligible to apply for the grant.  Grant awards of $800,000 over a period of four years per college will be awarded to the four colleges whose proposals best support the goals and objectives of the program.

Requests for Proposals will be available beginning Friday, April 8, 2011. Completed proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, June 1, 2011 to the American Indian College Fund, which will administer the Wakanyeja "Sacred Little Ones" Early Childhood Development Initiative. For a Request for Proposal or information about the program, contact Hepsi Barnett, Director of Projects and Research, American Indian College Fund, at 303-426-8900 or hbarnett@collegefund.org.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, established in 1930, supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. For further information on the foundation, please visit www.wkkf.org

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," the Denver-based American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students, providing more than 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education at the nation's 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund or to make a donation, visit www.collegefund.org.

SOURCE American Indian College Fund