Each year the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Workforce Development select a 477 Tribe or Tribal Consortium to receive an award for outstanding services. In mid-May of 2024, Kawerak’s Education, Employment and Support Services Division was pleasantly surprised to be selected for the “Specialist Award” for outstanding services in 2023.
Since October 1996, has implemented a consolidated Education, Employment and Supportive Services for the benefit of its tribal membership under Public Law 102-477. These services include Kawerak’s Higher Education, Employment and Training and Child Care programs. With 477, Kawerak is statutorily authorized to design our own programs to address the needs of our people – alleviating the conditions of poverty and elevating the quality of life. The successes from the tribally-driven programs speak for themselves.
Carrie McMillan, Workforce Development Specialist of the U.S.  Department of the Interior, selected Kawerak’s EESS Team for this award stating, “Kawerak, Inc., including Luisa Machuca and staff, provide excellent, comprehensive services throughout the region and they continue to expand the employment, training, and related services available to their clients.”

Kawerak EESS strives to increase access to employment, education, training, address barriers through support services, and promote subsistence activities. EESS continues to develop and build upon collaborations with partners to expand program capacity and create more sustainability for their programs. Throughout 2023 staff travel frequently out to regional communities to provide in-person information on services and programs as well as one-on-one help to our tribal members wishing to apply for funding to meet employment goals.

Additionally, as a department, EESS is dedicated to providing staff with professional development opportunities and continued organizational development for the EESS Leadership Team. In this way we are leading by example when we encourage our tribal members to expand their opportunities, as well as enhance our ability to provide effective services to the region.  With the independence of operating our own program, we have the ability to be flexible and design services that meets the unique needs and circumstances of our Tribal members and Tribes in this region.

477 Highlights for 2023

Higher Education

Kawerak Higher Education had 7 students graduate from college, and provided 115 spring scholarships, 5 summer scholarships, and 122 fall scholarships to students to attend colleges and universities across the country. Kawerak offered a new competitive teacher scholarship opportunity to increase the number of certified teachers; 2 students received this scholarship in the fall semester.

Kawerak’s employs 2 College and Career Navigators (CCNs) who worked with 116 senior high students to learn about available post-secondary opportunities in and out of the region. They helped them complete applications, register for courses, set up accounts, purchase books, and apply for student housing and scholarships applications. Nine high school graduate students participated and completed the summer College and Transition Program and successfully transition to college.

Employment and Training

Kawerak’s Training programs offered training and funding for participants who wanted to advance their workforce development skills, obtain certificates, licenses, occupational endorsements, degrees, and provided support services. Fifteen (15)students were funded to attend vocational training with 10 successfully completing their training program. Kawerak coordinated and implemented a variety of short-term regional trainings with 87 trainees successfully obtaining certificates and licenses.

Kawerak’s provided 15 youth the opportunity to work part-time in the summer to learn workplace skills and gain workplace experience. Kawerak developed and implemented the new Administrative Assistant Trainee program to train individuals interested in entry-level administrative positions that needed additional skills to qualify for employment. Four (4) trainees were selected with placements in various departments throughout Kawerak.

Child Care

Kawerak Child Care Services provided direct financial assistance to 73 families, serving a total of 122 children, with 4 children in OCS custody. Thirty families received support for licensed care and 43 families received support for Tribally Approved Relative Provider Care. Kawerak certified 25 new Tribally Approved Relative Providers for a total of 36 Authorized Relative Providers.

Kawerak Uiviilat Play and Learn Center offered full-day Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership (EHS/CCP) services to birth to three-year-old children in two classrooms. UPLC also offered part-time child care services to enrolled Head Start students  alongside after-school care to kindergarten students. Over 60 children received EHS/CCP/UPLC services in 2023 which supported about 52 families so they could work, subsist, or pursue their education. Nineteen of those children graduated from our program and went on to kindergarten. Five of those who graduated continued as UPLC students by returning to us after kindergarten was done for the day as 5- or 6-year-olds. All parent co-pays were waived for families eligible for Kawerak child care assistance, through the Child Care Development Fund program.

The EESS Division continues to advance in organizational structure – furthering their goals to develop systems, structure, processes, and program opportunities and sustainability that better serves the region. We continue to identify ways to work effectively and efficiently with multiple programs to achieve grant and organizational objectives and we hope to continue to do so for decades to come.

Kawerak serves the 20 tribes of the Bering Strait region of Alaska located in the regional hub of Nome, Alaska. All the programs and services are supported by the leadership and strategic direction of Luisa Machuca who serves as the Vice-President for the Division and as the 477 Director.