Trans-formative Capacity Building: Targeted STEM Infusion Project Grant

部落学院和大学方案的目标是支持为土著服务的高等教育机构建设其科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。由内布拉斯加州印第安社区学院（NICC）指导的题为“变革能力建设：有针对性的STEM注入项目”的项目通过建立微生物学实验室和开发微生物学实验室课程直接解决了TCUP的目标，更好地为学生进入劳动力市场和/或进入另一所机构攻读四年制STEM学位做好准备。该项目的目标是确保实验室设备齐全，并制定协议和培训，优先考虑学生和工作人员的安全。实验室课程将包括与当地相关的内容和以证据为基础的教学方法，并将进行试点测试，以优化其支持学生学习的有效性。该课程保证在内布拉斯加州高等教育机构之间完全可转移。NICC的视频会议功能成功地使课程的交付，包括这一个，服务于三个校区，扩大了项目的覆盖面。NICC的使命是为所有学习者提供优质的高等教育和终身教育的机会。扩展学院的科学学科是推进这一使命的一种方式。增加微生物学，必修课程和/或批准选修许多干学士学位课程，支持学生的途径学士学位以及毕业生与公共，私人和部落实体的额外职业选择。该项目的工作，以加强NICC的实验室健康和安全计划（HSP）和培训所有的STEM教师在HSP协议有利于所有的实验室课程和学位课程在学院，从而建立NICC的能力，在STEM教育和研究。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to support Native-serving institutions of higher education in building their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities. The project directed by Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) titled “Transformative Capacity Building: Targeted STEM Infusion Project” directly addresses TCUP’s goal through the establishment of a microbiology laboratory and the development of a microbiology laboratory course that better prepares their students to enter the workforce and/or matriculate to another institution to pursue a four-year STEM degree. The project’s objectives are to ensure that the laboratory is fully equipped and protocols and training are in place that prioritize student and staff safety. The laboratory course will include locally relevant content and evidence-based instructional methods and will be pilot tested to optimize its effectiveness in support student learning. The course is guaranteed fully transferable across Nebraska institutions of higher education. NICC's videoconferencing capabilities successfully enable the delivery of courses, including this one, to serve three campuses, broadening the reach of the project.NICC’s mission is to provide quality higher education and lifelong educational opportunities to all learners. Expansion of the science disciplines at the college is one way to advance that mission. The addition of microbiology, a required course and/or approved elective for numerous STEM baccalaureate degree programs, supports students’ pathways to baccalaureate degrees as well as additional careers options for graduates with public, private, and tribal entities. The project’s work to strength NICC’s Laboratory Health and Safety Plan (HSP) and to train all STEM faculty in the HSP protocols benefits all laboratory courses and degree programs at the college, thereby building NICC’s capacity in STEM education and research.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.