Collaborative Research: Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM - CIRCLES Alliance

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The CIRCLES, Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM, Alliance is a partnership between six states in the western half of the U.S. (Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota , South Dakota, and Wyoming) to address the under representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and workforce. The AI/AN population within the states associated with the CIRCLES Alliance represents 10.5% percent of the nation’s AI/AN population. With access to this population, the collective of STEM related activities, programs, and collaborations developed and implemented within these states through existing partnerships with tribal communities and with colleges that serve the tribes provides a path for increasing the success of AI/AN students through the combined Alliance. This network of people, institutions, and communities along with the results of this project could serve as a national model for other states to follow. The project will start by furthering conversations within tribal communities through interviews centered on STEM education in their communities and brainstorming ideas on how to combine efforts towards the success of students. It is then expected that these conversations will lead to tribal communities taking the lead in identifying projects, activities, and programs that are of greatest need to their students for STEM success.The CIRCLES, Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM, Alliance is a partnership between six states in the western half of the U.S. (Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota , South Dakota, and Wyoming) to address the under representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the STEM disciplines and workforce. The preparation, cultural, and access reasons for this this low representation require organically grown and trusted partnerships, which are in place within the participating states. The AI/AN population within the states associated with the CIRCLES Alliance represents 10.5% percent of the nation’s AI/AN population. Subsequently, the development and implementation of integrated formal and informal STEM activities within these states through already existing partnerships with tribal communities and tribal colleges provides a pathway for increasing the engagement, involvement, and success of AI/AN students within this network and could provide a national model for scaling to other states. The CIRCLES Alliance looks to increase the knowledge gained by the combined effort of states that will collectively engage and impact AI/AN communities through conversation, interviews, and relationship building between tribal entities and EPSCoR jurisdictions. As part of these growing relationships, tribal communities will take the lead roles in identifying STEM projects and programs that have been successful and in developing programs that are determined to be of greatest need in the STEM education of their students to produce a STEM-ready workforce that fits into the economic development plans of their respective communities.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.