Creating a Vision and Strategic Plan for Increasing STEM Capacity at Tohono O'odham Community College

部落学院和大学方案的一个目标是提高为全国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学教学和研究能力。扩大这些机构的研究能力，扩大了学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性和回报的职业的机会，为可能与当地相关的领域提供了研究，并鼓励教师社区超越传统课堂寻求智力和专业成长。这个项目与这个目标直接一致，允许该机构？Tohono O'odham社区学院将对其STEM项目进行机构评估，并制定一项战略计划，以提高其STEM能力。包括TOCC教师和管理人员、TOCC学生、Tohono O'odham Nation部门、利益相关者和外部教育机构在内的研讨会将制定TOCC应具备的STEM能力以及如何实现的共同愿景。评估结果将构成制定STEM能力建设计划和2017年NSF TCUP STEM教学能力卓越提案的基线。该计划将包括一个系统的、全面的办法，通过采用土著教育模式，将我们的课程纳入Tohono O'odham生活方式。该计划还将包括创新的教育战略，如创建学习社区，重点是综合和基于问题的学习。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the research capacity at these institutions expands the opportunities for students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be locally relevant, and encourages a faculty community to look beyond the traditional classroom for intellectual and professional growth. This project aligns directly with that goal, allowing the institution?s faculty and administrators to design and develop a comprehensive plan for improving and expanding STEM instruction.Tohono O'odham Community College will conduct an institutional assessment of its STEM programs and create a strategic plan for increasing its STEM capacity. Workshops that include TOCC faculty and administration, TOCC students, Tohono O'odham Nation departments, stakeholders and external educational institutions will formulate a shared vision of what STEM capacity should be at TOCC and how to achieve it. The results of the assessment will constitute the baseline for the elaboration of a STEM Capacity-building plan and NSF TCUP STEM Instructional Capacity Excellence proposal for 2017. The plan will include a systemic, comprehensive approach to integrating our curriculum into the Tohono O'odham way of life (Himdag) through the application of an indigenous education model. This plan will also include innovative educational strategies such as the creation of learning communities focused on integrative and problem-based learning.