From Mountain to Sea: Creating a Culturally-Relevant, Multi-Faceted Summer Science Program to Facilitate a Community of Learners at the Salish Sea Research Center

部落学院和大学方案的目标是提高为全国土著学生服务的高等教育机构在科学、技术、工程和数学领域的教育和研究能力。TCUP对实现这些目标的项目的资助扩大了土著人民在STEM领域追求具有挑战性的学位和有价值的职业的机会，对具有文化意义的主题进行研究，并促进对STEM教育的世代赞赏。与TCUP的目标一致，西北印度学院（NWIC）项目“从山到海：萨利希海研究中心（SSRC）的文化相关夏季科学计划”让本科生与研究和教师导师一起参与与华盛顿州西北部Lummi保留地周围的沃茨水质相关的社区科学研究，及其对粮食主权的影响。该项目将NWIC的本土环境科学学士学位（BSNES）的学年STEM课程与SSRC的文化相关研究联系起来，培养学生作为研究人员的专业知识和信心，同时产生对当地社区和更广泛的社会有害藻类水华（HABs）重要的知识。参与该项目的学生准备在自然资源的领导角色服务和/或追求STEM研究生学位。研究结果将通过在会议上的介绍和出版物向社区利益攸关方和专业界广泛传播。该项目的一个机构成果将是一个可持续的计划，从事土著知识和科学学习的发展，同时支持学生在NWIC获得BSNES学位。有害的藻类水华（HABs）是海岸Salish人关注的问题，由于HABs对水质和贝类的影响，这是生活在太平洋西北部的许多美国印第安部落的文化重要食物来源。来自工业和农业的人为营养物质，加上气温上升和经常性干旱等气候变化影响，增加了持续时间更长和更频繁的赤潮的可能性。Lummi国家自然资源部和西北印度学院萨利希海研究中心积极合作研究有害藻华，当有害藻华毒素在贝类中上升到危险水平时，有害藻华会造成严重的公共卫生和经济问题。该项目让西北工业大学的本科生作为暑期实习生参与研究伙伴关系，对Lummi国家周围沃茨的有害生物进行文化相关研究。学生实习生将通过出版物和社区和专业论坛上的演讲传播他们的研究结果。参与该项目为NWIC的STEM学生进入环境科学专业和/或进入环境STEM学科研究生院做好准备。在机构层面上，该项目建立了NWIC在陆地-海洋界面的研究能力，并提高了其STEM课程的文化一致性，以更好地为学生服务。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。

The goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the education and research capacities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at institutions of higher education that serve the nation's Indigenous students. TCUP's funding of projects that address these goals expands opportunities for Native people to pursue challenging degrees and rewarding careers in STEM, to conduct research studies on culturally significant topics, and fosters generational appreciation for STEM education. In alignment with TCUP's goals, Northwest Indian College's (NWIC) project "From Mountain to Sea: A Culturally Relevant Summer Science Program at the Salish Sea Research Center (SSRC)" engages undergraduate students with research and faculty mentors in community-relevant scientific research related to water quality for the waters surrounding the Lummi Reservation in northwestern Washington state, and its impacts on food sovereignty. The project links academic-year STEM curricula from NWIC's Bachelor of Native Environmental Science degree (BSNES) with culturally relevant research at the SSRC, developing students' expertise and confidence as researchers, while generating knowledge important to the local community and broader society about harmful algae blooms (HABs). Participation in the project prepares students for service in natural resources leadership roles and/or to pursue a STEM graduate degree. Research findings will be widely disseminated to community stakeholders and to the professional community through presentations at conferences and publications. An institutional outcome of this project will be the development of a sustainable program that engages Indigenous knowledge and scientific learning, while supporting students in earning a BSNES degree at NWIC.Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are a concern for the Coast Salish People due to the effects of HABs on water quality and shellfish, a culturally important food source for many American Indian tribes living in the Pacific northwest. Anthropogenic nutrients from industry and agriculture, coupled with climate change effects like rising temperatures and recurrent drought events, increase the likelihood for longer duration and more frequent HABs. The Natural Resources Department of the Lummi Nation and the Salish Sea Research Center of Northwest Indian College are actively partnered in studies of HABs, which can cause serious public health and economic issues when HAB toxins rise to dangerous levels in shellfish. This project engages NWIC undergraduate students in the research partnership as summer interns conducting culturally-relevant studies of HABs in the waters surrounding the Lummi Nation. Student interns will disseminate their findings through publications and presentations in community and professional forums. Participation in the project prepares NWIC's STEM students to enter environmental science professions and/or matriculation to graduate school in environmental STEM disciplines. On an institutional level, the project builds NWIC's research capacity at the land-sea interface and improves the cultural congruence of its STEM curriculum to better serve its 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.