Nilch Bee Naa Alkaa Go Ohooa Doo Eidii Tii (Using Air (Technology) to Learn and Understand New Things)

纳瓦霍技术大学(NTU)是美国最大的部落学院之一，在为美洲原住民提供学术和研究项目方面处于领先地位。南洋理工大学的学生有机会获得大量的学术课程，包括强大的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)课程。然而，南大和纳瓦霍民族的居民没有很好地连接到互联网和更大的研究和教育社区。连接的限制，特别是在纳瓦霍社区中心和他们的家中，限制了南大在不断增长的一体化全球研究和教育环境中进行合作和贡献的能力。根本上缺乏具有足够带宽的互联网连接，无法成功参与不断增长的远程或在线学习课程/计划。这项提议将以更高的网络速度将NTU连接到Front Range GigaPoP(FRGP)区域网络，并为NTU的研究和学术项目提供专用带宽，从而增加广域网络连接。该提案通过实施先进的无线测试床来应对远程教育挑战，以向分会之家、部落图书馆和其他社区支柱地点提供NTU远程教育课程。这项提案涉及美国最大的部落大学，并与新墨西哥州和亚利桑那州部落学院和大学合作。它利用了与FRGP现有的强大地区关系，并为其他部落学院采用类似技术和相关合作提供了一个组织模式。该提案强调了需求和要求收集会议，随后是设计和培训研讨会，这将使地区美洲原住民社区受益。该奖项反映了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。

Navajo Technical University (NTU) is one of the nation's largest tribal colleges and a leader in delivering academic and research programs for Native Americans. NTU students have access to a plethora of academic programs including strong programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). However, NTU and the residents of the Navajo Nation are not well connected to the Internet and to the larger research and education community. Connectivity limitations, especially at Navajo community centers and at their homes, restrict NTU's ability to collaborate and contribute in the ever-growing integrated global research and education environment. There is a fundamental lack of Internet connectivity with sufficient bandwidth to successfully participate in the ever-increasing distance or online learning courses/programs. This proposal will increase Wide Area Network connectivity by connecting NTU to the Front Range GigaPoP (FRGP) regional network at much higher network speeds with dedicated bandwidth for NTU research and academic projects. The proposal addresses distance education challenges by implementing an advanced wireless test bed to deliver NTU distance education courses to Chapter Houses, tribal libraries, and other community anchor locations. This proposal engages the country's largest tribal university and is a collaboration with New Mexico and Arizona Tribal Colleges and Universities. It leverages a strong existing regional relationship with the FRGP, and it provides an organizational model for other tribal colleges to adopt a similar technology and associated collaborations. The proposal emphasizes needs and requirements-gathering meetings, followed by design and training workshops, which will benefit regional Native American community.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.