EAGER: Exploring impacts of scholarships, cross-institutional networks, and co-curricular activities on Navajo student and faculty leadership development

该项目将研究奖学金支持的影响，参与跨机构网络活动的机会，虚拟研讨会，以及与同龄人和导师讨论影响福祉和持久性的问题，对学生，应届毕业生和教师的保留和领导力发展的影响，在地球科学，环境科学和相关的STEM领域。PI将支持新墨西哥州大学、纳瓦霍技术大学、Dine学院和科学多样性领导中心（CDLS）之间的网络建设活动。该项目将支持一个新的教师研究员计划和早期职业研究员计划，参与者来自合作机构。教师研究员的领导力发展将包括致力于利用更具包容性的教学和指导实践，这将支持纳瓦霍学生的保留。为了培养早期职业研究员的领导能力，PI将参与跨文化互动，建立指导网络，并提供与学生，应届毕业生和来自多个机构的教师以及通过CDLS联系的机会。学生保留和领导力发展也将受益于多种活动：1）通过为纳瓦霍技术大学和Dine学院的学生和应届毕业生提供助学金提供财政支持，2）提供计算机助学金，以支持笔记本电脑和宽带互联网接入，以参与网络，3）通过与同行和垂直导师的个人会议以及社区关于COVID的讨论圈提供支持的机会，健康和福祉，和领导力，以及4）参与虚拟研讨会和研究的机会，以及在每个参与机构的环境科学和其他绿色STEM领域的推广项目。该项目响应COVID-19的历史性危机，对纳瓦霍族等弱势群体造成了不成比例的影响。这一流行病造成了一种环境，纳瓦霍学生难以获得必要的教育资源。这抑制了他们在地球科学，环境科学和其他STEM领域的能力，这些领域需要他们的多样化观点和领导力。该项目将通过专业发展机会和资金来应对这些障碍，以直接支持纳瓦霍学生，应届毕业生和早期职业专业人士。PI将专注于教师发展，这将支持纳瓦霍学生在STEM中的保留，同时希望通过体验式学习机会，财政支持和导师制，更广泛地提高地球科学，绿色STEM和STEM中土著学生的保留率。虚拟研讨会和以领导力为重点的谈话圈将有助于支持早期职业和教师研究员成为地球科学和其他领域多样性的拥护者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

This project will examine the impacts of scholarship support, opportunities to participate in network activities across institutions, virtual workshops, and discussion of issues impacting well-being and persistence with peers and mentors on retention and leadership development of students, recent graduates, and faculty in geoscience, environmental science, and related STEM fields. The PIs will support network building activities between the University of New Mexico, Navajo Technical University, Dine College, and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science (CDLS). The project will support a new faculty fellows program and early career fellows program with participants from partnering institutions. Leadership development for faculty fellows will include committing to utilizing more inclusive teaching and mentoring practices over the course of this grant which would support Navajo student retention. To develop leadership capacity in early career fellows, the PIs will engage in cross-cultural interaction, develop a mentoring network, and provide opportunities for connection with students, recent graduates, and faculty from multiple institutions and through CDLS. Student retention and leadership development will also benefit from multiple activities: 1) Financial support via stipends for students and recent graduates from Navajo Technical University and Dine College, 2) Computing stipends to support laptops and broadband internet access for participation in the network, 3) Opportunities for support through individual meetings with peer and vertical mentors, and community talking circles on COVID, health and wellbeing, and leadership, and 4) Opportunities for participation in virtual workshops and research and outreach projects pertaining to environmental science and other green STEM fields at each of the participating institutions.This project responds to the COVID-19 historical conjuncture that has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations such as the Navajo Nation. The pandemic created an environment where Navajo students have difficulty accessing essential as well as educational resources. This is inhibiting their ability to be retained in geoscience, environmental science, and other STEM fields where their diverse perspectives and leadership is needed. This project will counter these barriers with professional development opportunities and funding to directly support Navajo students, recent graduates, and early career professionals. The PIs will focus on faculty development that will support retention of Navajo students in STEM while simultaneously hoping to boost retention rates of indigenous students in geoscience, green STEM, and STEM more broadly, through experiential learning opportunities, financial support, and mentorship. The virtual workshops and leadership-focused talking circles will serve to support both early career and faculty fellows to become champions for diversity in geoscience and other fields.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.