The UMM IUSE program: Encouraging the participation of Native Americans in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences and Sustainability - an emphasis on transitions

该项目旨在增加明尼苏达大学莫里斯分校环境科学和可持续发展领域的毕业生人数。三个重点将指导工作：1)告知-尽早向学生介绍科学；2)准备-向高中生介绍数据收集和定量分析，为他们进入大学水平的科学做好准备。3)支持-介绍一个由同伴，教师和行业导师组成的支持性网络，在所有教育过渡期间为学生提供指导。该项目计划以当地和区域社区的需求为基础，应有助于增加美洲原住民在追求和获得STEM学位方面的参与。在整个项目活动中纳入了“通知-准备-支助”框架，其中包括：一项涉及访问保留地的早期鼓励推广方案；为对STEM职业感兴趣的美洲原住民高中生提供为期两周的住宿项目；部落学院科学专业学生的暑期项目，涉及环境科学和可持续发展的研究项目；还有一个丰富的项目，指导职业决策，并为毕业后的职业过渡提供建议。形成性和总结性评估将包括对项目组成部分与成功实现目标的一致性的分析。通过这样做，该项目将建立并促进有关美国原住民学生STEM教育的知识库。特别是，它将讨论长期社区关系和环境中对文化作出反应的办法所发挥的作用，这是成功发生的条件。调查将用于收集有关学生态度和看法的信息（项目经验，参与程度和成功障碍）。毕业和留校数据将被跟踪。评价结果的传播将影响广泛的教育工作者。学生和教师还将在美国印第安人科学与工程学会的全国会议上展示研究成果。

This project seeks to increase the number of graduates in the areas of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Three foci will guide the effort: 1) Inform - introduce students to science early; 2) Prepare - introduce high school students to data collection and quantitative analysis to prepare them for college level science and 3) Support - introduce a supportive network of peer, faculty and industry mentors that will offer guidance to students through all educational transitions. The project plan is grounded in the needs of the local and regional community and should help to increase the participation of Native Americans in the pursuit and attainment of STEM degrees. The Inform-Prepare-Support framework is integrated throughout the project activities, which include: an early encouragement outreach program involving visits to reservations; a 2-week residential program for Native America high school students who are interested in STEM careers; a summer program for Tribal College science majors involving research projects in environmental science and sustainability; and an enrichment program to mentor career decisions and provide advice for the transition to careers after graduation. Formative and summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of the goals. In so doing, the project will build on and contribute to the knowledge base regarding the education of Native American students in STEM. In particular, it will address the role played by a culturally responsive approach embedded in long-standing community relationships and circumstances an conditions under which success occurs. Surveys will be employed to collect information about student attitude and perception (project experiences, extent of engagement, and barriers to success). Graduation and retention data will be tracked. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will impact a wide range of educators. Students and faculty will also present research results at the national meeting of the American Indian Science and Engineer Society.