The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in San Bernardino County, California, has awarded a $2.7 million renewal grant to Sherman Indian High School in Riverside to bolster workforce development programs, Native News reports.

The grant to Sherman, an off-reservation Indian boarding school operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education, will extend funding through 2025 for the school’s Career Technical Education Pathways Program, which provides academic support and opportunities for students to explore careers and gain certifications and work-based experiences that help students make informed decisions about career paths and postsecondary education. Since 2010, San Manuel has provided grants totaling $12 million to the school.

“[O]ur partnership to bring career technical education to Sherman has introduced so many students from across Indian Country to life-changing career opportunities,” said San Manuel business committee member Laurena Bolden. “We can’t wait to see their faces to tell them of our shared belief in their potential and celebrate this partnership of Native people investing in Native youth.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Rich Legg)