From Mountain to Sea: Creating a Culturally-Relevant, Multi-Faceted Summer Science Program to Facilitate a Community of Learners at the Salish Sea Research Center

部落学院和大学方案(TCUP)的目标是提高为国家土著学生服务的高等教育机构在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域的教育和研究能力。TCUP为实现这些目标的项目提供资金，扩大了原住民在STEM攻读具有挑战性的学位和有价值的职业的机会，对具有文化意义的主题进行研究，并培养对STEM教育的代际欣赏。为了与TCUP的目标保持一致，西北印度学院(NWIC)的“从山到海：萨利什海洋研究中心(SSRC)与文化相关的夏季科学项目”邀请本科生与研究人员和教师导师一起从事与华盛顿州西北部Lummi保护区周围水域的水质及其对食品主权的影响有关的社区相关科学研究。该项目将NWIC土著环境科学学士学位(BSNES)的学年STEM课程与SSRC的文化相关研究联系起来，培养学生作为研究人员的专业知识和信心，同时产生对当地社区和更广泛的社会重要的关于有害藻华(HAB)的知识。参与该项目为学生在自然资源服务中担任领导角色和/或攻读STEM研究生学位做好准备。研究成果将通过在会议和出版物上的陈述向社区利益攸关方和专业人士广泛传播。该项目的一个制度性成果将是开发一个可持续发展的项目，该项目涉及土著知识和科学学习，同时支持学生在NWIC获得BSNES学位。由于哈姆藻水华对水质和贝类的影响，海岸萨利什人担心哈姆藻水华，贝类是生活在太平洋西北部的许多美洲印第安人部落的重要食物来源。来自工业和农业的人为营养物质，加上气温上升和反复发生的干旱事件等气候变化影响，增加了赤潮持续时间更长、频率更高的可能性。卢米国家自然资源部和西北印度学院的萨利什海研究中心积极合作研究赤潮，当贝类中的赤潮毒素上升到危险水平时，赤潮会造成严重的公共卫生和经济问题。该项目邀请NWIC本科生参与研究伙伴关系，作为暑期实习生，在卢米国周围水域进行与文化相关的赤潮研究。学生实习生将通过出版物和在社区和专业论坛上的演讲来传播他们的发现。参与该项目将为NWIC的STEM学生进入环境科学专业和/或进入环境STEM学科的研究生院做好准备。在机构层面上，该项目建设了NWIC在海陆交界处的研究能力，并改善了其STEM课程的文化一致性，以更好地服务于学生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the education and research capacities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at institutions of higher education that serve the nation's Indigenous students. TCUP's funding of projects that address these goals expands opportunities for Native people to pursue challenging degrees and rewarding careers in STEM, to conduct research studies on culturally significant topics, and fosters generational appreciation for STEM education. In alignment with TCUP's goals, Northwest Indian College's (NWIC) project "From Mountain to Sea: A Culturally Relevant Summer Science Program at the Salish Sea Research Center (SSRC)" engages undergraduate students with research and faculty mentors in community-relevant scientific research related to water quality for the waters surrounding the Lummi Reservation in northwestern Washington state, and its impacts on food sovereignty. The project links academic-year STEM curricula from NWIC's Bachelor of Native Environmental Science degree (BSNES) with culturally relevant research at the SSRC, developing students' expertise and confidence as researchers, while generating knowledge important to the local community and broader society about harmful algae blooms (HABs). Participation in the project prepares students for service in natural resources leadership roles and/or to pursue a STEM graduate degree. Research findings will be widely disseminated to community stakeholders and to the professional community through presentations at conferences and publications. An institutional outcome of this project will be the development of a sustainable program that engages Indigenous knowledge and scientific learning, while supporting students in earning a BSNES degree at NWIC.Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are a concern for the Coast Salish People due to the effects of HABs on water quality and shellfish, a culturally important food source for many American Indian tribes living in the Pacific northwest. Anthropogenic nutrients from industry and agriculture, coupled with climate change effects like rising temperatures and recurrent drought events, increase the likelihood for longer duration and more frequent HABs. The Natural Resources Department of the Lummi Nation and the Salish Sea Research Center of Northwest Indian College are actively partnered in studies of HABs, which can cause serious public health and economic issues when HAB toxins rise to dangerous levels in shellfish. This project engages NWIC undergraduate students in the research partnership as summer interns conducting culturally-relevant studies of HABs in the waters surrounding the Lummi Nation. Student interns will disseminate their findings through publications and presentations in community and professional forums. Participation in the project prepares NWIC's STEM students to enter environmental science professions and/or matriculation to graduate school in environmental STEM disciplines. On an institutional level, the project builds NWIC's research capacity at the land-sea interface and improves the cultural congruence of its STEM curriculum to better serve its students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.