Planning Workshop for a Regional Native American Graduate Research Center

本工作坊的重点是探讨建立区域性美洲原住民研究生研究中心的可行性。研讨会将邀请来自西北地区和更广泛的美国的印第安人教育、培训和研究领域的各种利益相关者参加，这一合作过程的参与者将包括来自西北地区印第安人部落和部落间组织的领导人，来自美国西部部落学院和大学（TCU）的代表，来自美国国家科学基金会赞助的路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟（LSAMP）和研究生教育与教授联盟（AGEP）项目的代表，以及来自爱达荷大学（UI）和美国西部其他拥有强大印第安人项目的多数机构的管理人员和教职员工。该研讨会将探索具有创造性、原创性和潜在变革性的概念，从长远来看，这些概念可能成为美国原住民研究生教育的典范，提高STEM学位的获得程度，并加强劳动力。研讨会的目标之一是建立一个具有吸引力的中心，让美国原住民研究生从事与他们的文化背景和兴趣相关的研究。这样一个跨学科中心将在自然资源、卫生、教育、法律和政策以及经济方面提供研究机会。在教育方面，这样一个中心将编制反映美洲土著综合世界观的整体课程，例如生态系统背景下的森林科学，与部落健康、生活方式、法律和政策有关。讲习班的主题将包括讨论所代表的每个部落的需要；与tcu代表讨论STEM领域学生毕业的成功案例，以及将STEM学士毕业生转变为研究生学位课程的最佳实践；讨论研究机会、它们与部落需求的相关性以及确定自然合作伙伴；由来自不同机构的美国原住民研究生做报告，介绍哪些是有效的，哪些是无效的，以及一个中心能为他们和他们的继任者做些什么；关于中心如何改变美国原住民研究生经历的文化讨论；现有课程与新课程整合的教育探讨并讨论后续活动，包括探索中心的资金来源。讨论将由一名主持人主持，讲习班将包括一个评价部分。最后报告将吸收讲习班和后续活动的资料，预计将包括一个中心的初步路线图和确定可能的资金来源。

This workshop is focused on exploring the feasibility of a Regional Native American Graduate Research Center. The workshop will engage a diverse group of stakeholders in Native American education, training, and research from the Northwest region, and from the broader U.S. Participants in this collaborative process will include leaders from Native American tribes and inter-tribal organizations in the Northwest, representatives from Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) across the western U.S., representatives from NSF-sponsored Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) projects, and administrators and faculty from the University of Idaho (UI) and other majority institutions in the western U.S. that have strong Native American programs.The workshop will explore creative, original, and potentially transformative concepts that could, in the long term, become a model for Native American graduate education, improving STEM degree attainment and strengthening the workforce. A goal of the workshop is to create a consensus vision for a magnet center for Native American graduate students to engage in research relevant to their cultural backgrounds and interests. Such an interdisciplinary center would feature research opportunities in natural resources, health, education, law and policy, and economics. On the education side, such a center would develop holistic curricula that reflect the integrated world view of Native Americans, such as forest science in the context of ecosystems, with relation to tribal health, lifestyle, law and policy.Workshop topics will include discussion on the needs of each tribe represented; discussion with the TCUs represented on what has been successful with graduating their students in STEM fields, and discussion on best practices for transitioning baccalaureate STEM graduates into graduate degree programs; discussion on research opportunities, their relevance to tribal needs, and identification of natural partners; presentation by Native American graduate students from various institutions on what has and has not worked, and what a center could do for them and their successors; a culture discussion on how a center could transform the experience of Native American graduate students; an education discussion on integration within existing curricula and new curricula; and discussion on follow-on activities, including exploration into sources of funding for a center. Discussions will be led by a facilitator, and the workshop will include an evaluation component. A final report will assimilate information from the workshop and follow-on activities, and is expected to include an initial roadmap for a center and identification of potential funding sources.