Enhancing the STEM Infrastructure Capabilities of Little Priest Tribal College

部落学院和大学计划（TCUP）的一个目标是提高为美国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。在这些机构扩大STEM课程的范围，可以扩大学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性、回报丰厚的职业的机会，为可能具有文化意义的领域提供研究，并鼓励社区和世代对科学和数学教育的欣赏。该项目与这一目标直接一致，而且可能会告知知识体系，有针对性的教学和财政支持方法对于招募和留住代表性不足的个人进入STEM研究，并为下一代STEM专业人员做好准备的重要性。教师与开发新的学习项目机会的联系，确保成功转入附近大学的高年级课程，将证明聘请全职、有资格的STEM教师致力于特定领域的学习和准备的重要性。对于那些直接从部落学院进入劳动力市场的学生来说，同样重要的是，他们在数学、科学和技术方面拥有明确的技能，以便进入STEM劳动力市场。该项目的目的是在小祭司部落学院（LPTC）为学生提供一个认可的STEM学术副学士学位选择，然后他们可以转到当地的四年制课程或为当地部落行业的就业做好准备。STEM教师的增加将确保项目开发、学生辅导和指导、学术衔接协议、入学支持，以及在LPTC校园内设计新的科学教学设施的指导。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover may inform the body of knowledge about the importance of targeted methods of instructional and financial support in recruiting and retaining underrepresented individuals into STEM studies, and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals. The connection of faculty to the development of novel opportunities for programs of study that ensure successful transfer to upper-division courses at nearby universities will demonstrate to essentiality of engaging full-time, credentialed STEM faculty devoted to a specific strand of study and preparation. For those students entering the workforce directly from a tribal college it is equally important that they have a well-defined skill set in mathematics, science, and technology for entry into the STEM workforce. The intent of this project is to provide an accredited STEM academic associate degree option at Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC) for students who may then transfer to a local four-year program or be prepared for employment at local tribal industries. The increase in STEM faculty will ensure program development, student tutoring and mentoring, academic articulation agreements, support for matriculation, and guidance on the design of a new science instructional facility on the LPTC campus.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.