Increasing Participation of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in STEM: a workshop focused on removing barriers to participation.; June 1 - June 2, 2016; Honolulu, HI

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As a group, Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians constitute one of the most significantly under-represented minorities in both college enrollment and STEM careers. This award will support a two-day workshop to be convened at the University of Hawaii (UH), on June 1-2, 2016, to answer two crucial questions: (1) what are the major barriers to STEM training and careers for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders; and (2) what can be done to reduce these barriers and increase participation? Taking part in the workshop will be faculty from UH and other 2-year and 4-year-colleges in Hawaii and across the central Pacific Ocean, undergraduate advisors who are experienced in guiding Pacific Islanders into STEM studies and careers, and recent graduates of the University of Hawaii who have achieved STEM-relevant careers. Two professionals from the University of California with expertise in expanding diversity in education will provide a context for underrepresentation of groups in STEM. It is anticipated that solutions may differ because of cultural differences between island groups, so sufficient time will be given for discussions that reveal such differences. At the end of the workshop, an annotated document that summarizes recommendations for reducing barriers to STEM education and careers for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders will be assembled for dissemination via websites and a journal focusing on such issues. It is anticipated that such document will be useful to faculty who mentor Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in STEM, specifically those in the biosciences.Training Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in STEM fields will allow them to actively engage in devising solutions to the many problems faced by the islanders due to climate change. The proposed workshop will provide a group of faculty and staff at colleges across the Pacific with deepened insights about the causes of under-participation of their students in STEM careers. Participants in the workshop will be better informed about how to overcome barriers to college attendance and STEM training at their colleges. New training approaches will increase the number of students well trained in STEM fields. It is hoped that this workshop will inspire Hawaiian and Pacific Islander faculty to implement better strategies for engaging this group of students in STEM careers. STEM training will allow Pacific Islanders to compete for local employment in agencies involved with environmental protection, fisheries, agriculture and development. This project is supported by the Division of Biological Infrastructure in the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences.