Kilo Aina: Science of Place

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Project Kilo Aina: Science of Place is a project aimed at developing institutional infrastructure and programs that increase the number of Native Hawaiians engaged in STEM programs, and to increase these students' educational achievement and attainment. By combining effective STEM institutional capacity-building strategies with culturally relevant practices that honor traditional Hawaiian knowledge and values, the project is expected to: 1) create strong school- and community- based pathways from K-12 to Leeward Community College that engage Native Hawaiian students and their families in STEM fields of study and occupations; 2) integrate indigenous and Western knowledge systems into STEM curriculum that results in improvements to pedagogy and instructional practices and increased undergraduate research experiences and internships; and 3) provide a summer bridge program for incoming remedial students..As a result of this effort, the enrollment of STEM majors is projected to increase from 195 to 312, with Native Hawaiian enrollment in STEM majors increasing from 35 to 77. Native Hawaiians are projected to demonstrate success rates (a 2.0 or higher) above 70% in 8 redesigned gatekeeper courses. The Kilo Aina Summer Bridge Program is expected to engage up to fifty students over the course of the project. Finally, the number of Native Hawaiian STEM students graduating each year is projected to increase from 5 to 20, while the number of Native Hawaiian STEM majors who transfer to a 4-year degree program each year is projected to increase from 12 to 48.Project results will contribute to multiple areas of study such as indigenous knowledge and its intrinsic contribution to current STEM education; the impact of indigenous knowledge embedded in STEM curriculum on native student achievement; and the efficacy of a culture-based curriculum embedded with math on remedial student improvement.