Teacher Corps Public Law 90-35-Education Professions Development Act— June 29, 1967 The Teacher Corps program has the purpose of strengthening the educational opportunities available to children in areas having concentrations of low-income families and encouraging colleges and universities to broaden their programs of teacher preparation. Teacher Corps interns participate in the program for a period of 2 years during which time they receive college training and work in elementary and secondary schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged children. At the end of the 2-year program, the interns receive a master's degree. Teacher Corps participants are assigned to work within the school system of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at Indian schools. Up to 3 percent of the available Teacher Corps members are specifically allotted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. [The Higher Education Act (Public Law 89-329) as passed on November 8, 1965, made provisions for the allocations of Teacher Corps members to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Education Professions Development Act (Public Law 90-53) as passed on June 29, 1967, allocated 3 percent of the Corps members to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and elementary and secondary schools operated for Indian children by the Department of the Interior by section 513 (3) (f).] The provision for the allocation of Teacher Corps members to Indian schools (Higher Education Act, title V, section 513 (c) (2)) is as follows: (2) Not to exceed 3 per centum of the number of members of the Teacher Corps, who are available shall be allocated to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and elementary and secondary schools operated for Indian children by the Department of the Interior, according to their respective needs. (22) Headstart P.L. 88-452-Economic Opportunity Act-August 20, 1964 The Headstart program focuses upon preschool children to provide comprehensive health, nutritional, education, social and other services necessary to assist them in attaining their full potential. It further provides for the direct participation of the parents of children participating in the program. It is aimed at providing experiences to children primarily from low-income families to enable them to begin elementary school with a wider understanding of the world. The language of the legislation is broad and does not specifically mention Indians as possible participants in Headstart programs. Currently, there are a great number of programs on Indian reservations providing the services outlined above including parent participation in the development, conduct and overall program direction at the local level. [The Headstart program was added to the Economic Opportunity Act by the 1966 amendments (Public Law 89-794) on November 8, 1966. Minor revisions were made in the amendments of 1967 (Public Law 90-222) was passed on December 22, 1967.] The following are the texts of the 1966 amendments including Headstart, and the current language: Public Law 89-794 HEADSTART AND LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAMS SEC. 211-1. (a) In carrying out sections 204 and 205, the Director shall carry out programs eligible for assistance under such sections which assist young children who have not reached the age of compulsory school attendance and which include (1) the furnishing of such comprehensive health, nutritional, social, educational, and mental health services as the Director finds will aid such children to attain their greatest potential, (2) the provision of appropriate activities to encourage the participation of parents of such children and the effective use of their services, and (3) such other training, technical assistance, evaluation, and follow-through activities as may be necessary or appropriate. Public Law 90-222 *the Director may provide financial assistance to public or private nonprofit agencies to carry on local projects initiated under such special programs; but he shall do so in a manner that will encourage, wherever feasible, the inclusion of the assisted projects in community action programs, with a view to minimizing possible duplication and promoting efficiencies in the use of common facilities and services, better assisting persons or families having a variety of needs, and otherwise securing from the funds committed the greatest possible impact in promoting family and individual self-sufficiency. Programs under this section shall include those described in the following paragraphs: (1) A program to be known as "Project Headstart" focused upon children who have not reached the age of compulsory school attendance which (A) will provide such comprehensive health, nutritional, education, social, and other services as the Director finds will aid the children to attain their full potential and (B) will provide for direct participation of the parents of such children in the development, conduct, and overall program direction at the local level. Volunteers In Service To America Program P.L. 88-452-Economic Opportunity Act-August 20, 1964 The VISTA program, under title VIII of the Economic Opportunity Act, has the purpose of strengthening and supplementing efforts to eliminate poverty by encouraging and enabling persons from all walks of life and all age groups, to perform meaningful and constructive service as volunteers in programs in their home, nearby communities, rural areas and urban communities, on Indian reservations, among migrant workers and other areas where the application of human talent and dedication may help the poor to overcome the handicaps of poverty and to secure and exploit opportunities for selfadvancement. VISTA volunteers are currently being assigned to work on some Indian reservations to help meet the health, education, welfare, and related needs of Indians. Volunteers are assigned upon the request of Federal, State, or local agencies, or private nonprofit organizations. [The provisions of the VISTA program relating to Indians were passed in the original Economic Opportunity Act (Public Law 88-452) on August 20, 1964, as section 603 (a) (2). This section was changed to 802 by the 1966 amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act and to the present form section 801 (a) (1) by the 1967 amendments.] The following is the text of section 801 (a) (1) indicating the relation of the VIŠTA program to Indians: SEC. 801. This title provides for a program of fulltime volunteer service, for programs of part-time or short-term community volunteer service, and for special volunteer programs, together with other powers and responsibilities designed to assist in the development and coordination of volunteer programs * * * and as full-time volunteers serving in rural areas and urban communities, on Indian reservations, among migrant workers, in Job Corps centers, and in other agencies, institutions * * *. PART A-FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH FULL-TIME PROGRAMS SEC. 810. (a) The Director may recruit, select, and train persons to serve in full-time volunteer programs, and upon request of Federal, State, or local agencies, or private nonprofit organizations, may assign such volunteers to work (1) in meeting the health, education, welfare, or related needs of Indians living on reservations, of migratory workers and their families * (24) |