A National Collaboration to Strengthen the Advanced Environmental Technology Education Programs at Native American Community Colleges

这项规划赠款为美洲土著社区学院和PETE/ATEEC的代表提供资源，以正式建立组织结构，并制定具体计划，加强美洲土著社区学院的环境技术教育。该计划旨在加强部落学院的STEM教育，同时承认美洲原住民对环境科学的研究具有深刻的历史意义。这些部落学院寻求促进和承认的方式，这将激励土著学生发展对环境科学的兴趣，并选择环境职业的历史。 人们普遍承认和理解有必要加强美国土著社区学院的环境技术教育。 许多部落/美洲原住民政府正在努力为其主权土地确定符合并支持其文化和遗产的经济发展和就业机会。发展高质量的专门环境教育和技术培训方案已被视为经济发展的一个重要途径。 美洲原住民社区学院的领导人已经确定了有关环境科学教育的以下需求：加强课程，开发案例研究，特别关注部落社区面临的环境问题，教师培训，与其他环境计划建立网络，加强2+2计划，并创造相对于美洲原住民问题的实地经验。 该奖项使美国原住民和非美国原住民教育专家小组能够共同设计一个高效和有效的计划，以满足美国原住民社区学院的环境教育需求。

This planning grant provides the resources for representatives of the Native American community colleges and PETE/ATEEC to formalize an organizational structure and develop a concrete plan to strengthen environmental technology education at Native American community colleges. This plan is designed to strengthen STEM education at Tribal colleges while acknowledging there is a deep historical component to the study of environmental science by Native Americans. These Tribal colleges seek to promote and acknowledge that history in a manner that will motivate Native students to develop an interest in environmental science and to choose environmental careers. There is widespread acknowledgement and understanding of the need to strengthen environmental technology education at Native American community colleges. Many Tribal/Native American governments are striving to identify economic development and employment opportunities for their sovereign lands that are consistent with and supportive of their culture and heritage. The development of high quality, specialized environmental education and technical training programs has been recognized as one important avenue for economic development. Native American Community College leaders have identified the following needs regarding environmental science education: strengthening the curriculum, developing case studies specifically focused on environmental issues faced by Tribal communities, faculty training, networking with other environmental programs, strengthening 2+2 programs, and creating field experiences relative to Native American issues. This award enables an expert panel of educators, both Native American and non-Native American, to jointly design an efficient and effective plan to address the environmental education needs of Native American community colleges.