Breaking Barriers to Participation: A Cultural Approach to Increasing Native Hawaiian Representation in Engineering

增强多样性可以带来成功，不仅对少数人，而且对每个人都是如此。多元文化体验可以让人们更有创造力，与同质群体相比，不同群体更有可能进行深入思考，获得更高质量的结果。在大学和工作场所，接纳来自不同背景的人的才华和经验将对更广泛的社会有益。然而，某些群体在大学和特定领域的代表性不足。具体地说，夏威夷原住民是工程劳动力中代表性最低的群体之一，在四年制院校的工程项目中也是如此。作为夏威夷的主要公立机构，位于MāNoa的夏威夷大学在吸引夏威夷原住民参与工程项目方面发挥了核心作用。夏威夷土生土长的工程学毕业生在未来的职业生涯中将获得许多好处(包括更高的工资)，并可以有各种机会为当地社区做出贡献。在这种情况下，目前重要的是使用循证方法，并无缝地调整工程教育中先前存在的做法，以支持更多的夏威夷原住民学生。该项目将增加夏威夷原住民对工程学的参与，通过教育和指导倡议实施，并特别注重研究生水平的成果。扩大夏威夷原住民对大学工程课程的参与将使夏威夷原住民社区受益，同时也将加强美国整体的工程劳动力。为了支持夏威夷原住民学生继续攻读工程学课程和攻读研究生学位，我们的目标是首先提供关键资源和本科水平的支持。具体地说，该项目将：1)通过文化心理学方法找出进入工程学研究生课程的潜在文化障碍；2)开发源自夏威夷土著文化的课程材料，以实现更符合文化的工程教育；3)建立基于学生学术和个人需求的专业发展和凝聚力指导的多学科计划。该项目将开发符合夏威夷土著学习方式的以文化为基础的教学工具，并将其纳入工程课程。此外，我们将建立职业发展和指导计划，以创造一个环境，促进夏威夷原住民的教育抱负，并刺激夏威夷原住民在未来的工程职业生涯中茁壮成长。我们期望我们以证据为基础的方法，与具体的教育和指导举措相结合，将增加夏威夷原住民学生的归属感，提高他们在工程学方面的学术表现，并提高他们对工程学研究生项目招生的兴趣。通过更多地纳入夏威夷原住民，密歇根大学工程专业的文化将得到转变，以实现更大的多样性。夏威夷原住民对工程学研究生课程的广泛参与将进一步增强工程工作领域的多样性。此外，具有强大工程背景的夏威夷原住民个人将能够在弥合政策制定者和当地夏威夷原住民社区之间的差距方面发挥亟需的作用，以了解双方独特的文化和观点。这个项目的发现和成果有很大的潜力造福于其他在STEM中代表性不足的人，包括但不限于其他太平洋岛民、阿拉斯加原住民和美洲原住民。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。

Enhancing diversity can lead to success, not only for minorities, but for everyone. Multicultural experiences can make people more creative, and diverse groups are more likely to think deeply and achieve higher quality outcomes compared to homogenous groups. In universities and in the workplace, embracing the talents and experiences of people from diverse backgrounds will be beneficial for society more broadly. Yet certain groups are underrepresented in universities and in particular fields. Specifically, Native Hawaiians are one of the most underrepresented groups in the engineering workforce and also in engineering programs at four-year institutions. As the primary public institution in Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa serves a central role in engaging Native Hawaiians in engineering programs. Native Hawaiian engineering graduates will have numerous benefits in their future careers (including higher wages) and can have various opportunities to contribute to their local communities. In this light, it is presently important to use evidence-based approaches and seamlessly adapt preexisting practices in engineering education for supporting more Native Hawaiian students. This project will increase the participation of Native Hawaiians in engineering, with implementation via educational and mentoring initiatives and specific focus on outcomes at the graduate level. Broadening the participation of Native Hawaiians in university engineering programs will benefit the Native Hawaiian community while also strengthening the U.S. engineering workforce as a whole. To support Native Hawaiian students’ retention in engineering programs and pursuit of graduate degrees, we aim to provide key resources and support first at the undergraduate level. Specifically, this project will: 1) identify potential culture-specific barriers for entering graduate engineering programs through a cultural psychological approach; 2) develop course materials originating from Native Hawaiian culture for a more culturally aligned engineering education; and 3) establish multi-disciplinary programs for professional development and cohesive mentoring based on students’ academic and personal needs. This project will develop culture-based pedagogical tools consistent with Native Hawaiian ways of learning and integrate them within the engineering curriculum. In addition, we will establish professional development and mentoring programs to create an environment that fosters Native Hawaiians’ educational aspirations and stimulates Native Hawaiians to thrive in their future engineering careers. We expect that our evidence-based approach, combined with concrete educational and mentoring initiatives, will increase Native Hawaiian students’ sense of belonging, academic performance in engineering, and interest in engineering graduate program enrollment. By increasing inclusion of Native Hawaiians, the culture of engineering programs at UHM will be transformed to enable greater diversity. The broad participation of Native Hawaiians in engineering graduate programs will further enhance diversity in a wide range of engineering job sectors. Furthermore, Native Hawaiian individuals with strong engineering backgrounds will be able to play a much-needed role in bridging a gap between policy makers and the local Native Hawaiian community to understand unique cultures and perspectives on each side. Findings and outcomes from this project have high potential to benefit others, who are underrepresented in STEM including, but not limited to, Other Pacific Islanders, Alaska Native and Native American individuals.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.