Getting a good education and good jobs have long been issues for Native Americans, many of whom live in poverty.
获得良好教育与一门好工作对土著美国人来说一直是个问题，他们很多人都生活在贫困之中。

Now president Barack Obama has announced a plan to better prepare young American Indians for colleges and careers. The announcement came as part of the recent White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington.
现在，奥巴马总统宣布了一项方案，以便更好地为美国印第安年轻人的大学和职业生涯做好准备。这项公告是华盛顿最近举行的白宫部落国会议的一部分。

In June, Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle visited the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The new plan is called the Generation Indigenous initiative.
今年六月，奥巴马和他的夫人米歇尔访问了北达科他州的岩印第安保留地。这项新方案被称之为"the Generation Indigenous initiative"。

It calls for the Department of the Interior to provide $1.2 million to help six more tribes establish school systems run by the tribes. It also increases programs for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and efforts to keep native languages from dying out.
它要求美国内政部拨款1200万美元帮助六个以上的部落建立由这些部落管理的学校体系。它还增加了教授科学、技术、工程和数学的课程，以及加大力度防止土著语言灭绝。

More than 30 percent of Americans have graduated from college. At the same time, only about 10 percent of American Indians are college graduates.
30%以上的美国人已经大学毕业。与此同时，只有大约10%的美国印第安人是大学毕业生。

Louis Walking Elk, however, is studying for a master degree in environmental science at Sitting Bull College in North Dakota. He wants to use the degree to help people who live on his reservation. He is one of the first in his family to go to college.
然而，Louis Walking Elk正在北达科他州的坐牛学院攻读环境科学硕士学位。他希望用自己所学帮助居住在和他同一个保留地的人们。他是他家最早上大学的人之一。

"My dad especially. He didn't finish high school and he was always like, 'you have to do something,'" said Walking Elk.
他说，“尤其是我的爸爸。他没读完高中，他总是说，‘你得做出点成就。’”

Sitting Bull College is one of more than 30 tribal colleges in the United States. About 300 students are completing their higher education at the school.
坐牛学院是美国30多所部落学院之一。大约有3百名学生在该校接受高等教育。

The federal government provides support for the program. Sitting Bull College president Laurel Vermillion says the goal of making sure students finish their college studies is all important to her.
联邦政府为该项目提供支持。坐牛学院院长Laurel Vermillion表示，对她来说，最重要的就是确保学生们完成他们的大学学业。

"A huge majority are first generation students, college students, who don't have a lot of experience. They don't have parents who can tell them or talk about college. And so when they leave the reservation and go onto these big, mainstream campuses, they are lost," said Vermillion.
“他们大多数都是第一代大学生，他们没有太多经验。他们的父母没法给他们讲讲大学的事情。因此，当他们离开保留地去这些主流大学校，他们就迷失了。”

Ms. Vermillion says many young Native Americans, especially men, are looking for direction and a sense of purpose. Today, 30 percent of students are male, and 70 percent are female.
Vermillion女士表示，许多年轻的土著美国人，尤其是男性都在寻找方向和目标。如今，30%的学生是男性，70%的学生是女性。

Sitting Bull College is trying to appeal to more men by offering a technical program. Classes include welding and oil drilling.
坐牛学院正试图通过技术课程吸引更多男生。这些课程包括焊接和石油钻探。

Scott Davis leads the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission. He also works to gain more male college students. He helps tribal colleges to get millions of dollars to start programs that develop young men for the workforce.
斯科特·戴维斯（Scott Davis）是北达科他印第安人事务委员会的负责人。他也致力于争取更多大学男生。他帮助部落学院获得了数百万美元用于开设培养年轻男性成为劳动人口的课程。

Mr. Davis calls tribal colleges a shining beacon on reservations, giving hope to young Native Americans of a life of possibilities, and an escape from poverty.
戴维斯称部落学院是保留地的一盏明灯，给了年轻土著美国人生活的希望，以及摆脱贫困的希望。

And that's the VOA Learning English Education Report for today. I'm Jeri Watson.