Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance-Esther Martinez Immersion

The Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance – Esther Martinez Immersion program is administered by the Administration for Native Americans within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This program is rooted in federal efforts to preserve and revitalize Native American languages, recognizing their cultural, historical, and social importance. The initiative is authorized under the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act, which provides funding to community-based organizations to support immersive language learning environments. The program is designed to ensure the survival and continued vitality of Native languages through structured educational programming. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support projects that deliver immersion-based language instruction within Native communities. Eligible projects must operate as either Native American Language Nests or Native American Survival Schools. Language Nests focus on early childhood education, providing instruction and childcare in a Native language for young children under the age of seven for a minimum of 500 hours annually. Survival Schools are designed for school-age students and must provide at least 500 hours of instruction in one or more Native languages, serving as the primary place of education for enrolled students. Funding under this program supports a range of allowable activities directly tied to immersion-based instruction. These include staffing, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and operational costs necessary to sustain immersive educational environments. Projects must adhere to the statutory requirements defining Language Nests and Survival Schools, including minimum participant thresholds and instructional hour requirements. While the program supports comprehensive educational services, all funded activities must align strictly with the goal of language preservation through immersion methodologies. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is broad within Native-serving entities. Applicants may include federally recognized tribes, non-federally recognized and state-recognized tribes, tribal consortia, Native nonprofit organizations, Alaska Native entities, Native Hawaiian-serving organizations, and certain higher education institutions serving Native populations. Both nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, provided they meet the specific criteria outlined. However, individuals and foreign entities are explicitly excluded from eligibility. Faith-based and community organizations are permitted to apply if they meet all program requirements. The application process is conducted electronically and requires submission through designated federal systems by the specified deadline. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date. While specific application components are not detailed in the forecast notice, applicants can expect to provide programmatic descriptions, evidence of eligibility, and plans for delivering immersion-based instruction consistent with statutory definitions. The evaluation process will likely assess alignment with program goals, capacity to deliver required instructional hours, and community impact. The estimated application due date for this funding opportunity is July 1, 2026, with the opportunity expected to be posted on May 29, 2026. Awards are anticipated to be made on or around July 1, 2026, with project start dates aligned accordingly. The program is part of a recurring federal initiative aimed at sustaining Native language revitalization efforts, suggesting future funding cycles may follow a similar annual schedule. Applicants are encouraged to monitor official agency communications for updates, guidance, and additional documentation as the opportunity progresses from forecast to active status.