Conference: 2023 STEM Summer Camp for Indigenous Middle School Students in Utqiagvik, Alaska

工程劳动力发展(EWD)是一项国家优先事项和需求，在阿拉斯加土著社区培养下一代工程师方面尤为关键，这些工程师能够应对因气候变化加速而日益增加的基础设施挑战。EWD应该在尽可能早的年龄开始，向K-12学生灌输STEM兴趣和概念。宾夕法尼亚州立大学将于2023年夏天为阿拉斯加州UtqiaġVik的土著中学生举办为期7天的STEM研讨会，重点是工程学。工作坊将由巴黎州立大学土木工程系教授肖明博士主持，并由两名巴黎州立大学土木工程系本科生协助。研讨会是与位于乌特基亚ḷġVik的iġIsa Vik学院合作举办的，该学院将提供会议空间和后勤服务。参与者将包括20名中学生，他们主要来自阿拉斯加北坡行政区(NSB)的村庄。学生们将参加七个动手小组活动。将邀请当地社区的一名长辈参加，以便将西方科学和工程知识与传统知识一起传授给参与者。在阿拉斯加州UtqiaġVik举办的研讨会将有助于培养中学生对科学、技术、工程和工程的兴趣，最终目标是培养未来的北极科学、技术和工程科学家和工程师。参与者还将有机会探索如何将传统知识和西方科学和工程知识共同教授给阿拉斯加的土著中学生。这一奖项反映了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。

Engineering workforce development (EWD) is a national priority and need that is particularly critical in producing the next-generation engineers in Indigenous communities in Alaska who can address the increasing infrastructure challenges due to accelerated climate change. EWD should start at as early an age as possible to instill STEM interests and concepts in K-12 students. Pennsylvania State University (PSU) will organize a 7-day STEM workshop with a focus on engineering for Indigenous middle school students in Utqiaġvik, Alaska in summer 2023. The workshop will be organized and led by Dr. Ming Xiao, Professor of Civil Engineering (CE) at PSU with the assistance of two PSU CE undergraduate students. The workshop is a collaborative effort with Iḷisaġvik College in Utqiaġvik, and the college will provide meeting space and logistics. Participants will include 20 middle school students, mainly from the villages in the North Slope Borough (NSB), Alaska. Students will participate in seven hands-on group activities. An elder from the local community will be invited to participate so that the western science and engineering knowledge and Traditional Knowledge will be taught together to the participants. The workshop in Utqiaġvik, Alaska will support development of an interest in STEM, and particularly engineering, in middle school students with the ultimate goal of training future Arctic STEM scientists and engineers. The participants will also have an opportunity to explore how Traditional Knowledge and western scientific and engineering knowledge can be co-taught to Indigenous Alaskan middle school students.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.