Establishing an Information Science and Technology Learning Community for Tribal Colleges

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A consortium of American Indian tribal colleges is creating an Information Science and Technology Learning Community (ISTLC). The ISTLC provides a range of education, training, and information-sharing services to the faculty, students, and professional IT staff at the participating institutions. The activities of the ISTLC are:(1) Strengthening the information science and technology and STEM programs at each participating college;(2) Establishing and maintaining a single community of information science practice and learning that includes faculty, students and IT staff at all consortium members;(3) Developing and disseminating successful practices, materials and technologies throughout the community of tribal colleges;(4) Creating linkages with industry, information/computer science departments at regional universities.The ISTLC provides a national model, making resource-challenged programs stronger through collaborative program development and delivery. It provides an effective approach for building coalitions that bring together key stakeholder groups as members of a single learning organization. The project is a pilot that can be expanded not only to all 32 Tribal Colleges, but also other community colleges around the nation, in particular those located in rural areas.