HHS Awards UOG $207,635 to Help Standardize Chamorro Language Instruction in Post-Secondary Education

Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s Administration for Children and Families/Administration for Native Americans has awarded $207,635 to the University of Guam for its project, Ma'adahen i Fino Chamorro gi Koleho, or Chamorro Language Preservation in Post-Secondary Education, to develop a standardized curriculum for Chamorro language instruction in post-secondary education.

This language preservation grant is the first award of a three-year project; additional funds will be awarded in the second and third year of the project.

“These funds will help the University of Guam preserve the Chamorro language and culture for future generations,” said Congresswoman Bordallo. “Specifically, this grant would ensure that Chamorro language students receive equal and adequate instruction and would help to preserve the traditional cultural practices and unique language of the Chamorro people. I commend the University of Guam for working to secure this grant, and I look forward to these funds benefitting our students and our community.”

Dr. Robert Underwood, President of the University of Guam said: “The University of Guam is proud to lead this project,” said UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood. “Standardizing a higher education curriculum for learning the Chamorro language will create new pathways to preserving our Chamorro language and culture.”

Dr. Faye Untalan, Project Director, said: “We are very happy to receive this ANA language preservation grant award. The aim for this grant is to standardize Chamorro language instruction for college-level students. Currently, four colleges offer Chamorro language: UOG, UH, GCC and NMC. The project will work with all four institutions to develop a single language instructional text for the students. A Mamfayi, panel of native Chamorro speakers and language experts, will review to approve the language curriculum for the project. Faculties of the four colleges will be organized to determine the content and scope of the curriculum and the Mamfayi will determine the correctness of the materials.”