Breaking Barriers to Participation: A Cultural Approach to Increasing Native Hawaiian Representation in Engineering

加强多样性可以带来成功，不仅对少数群体，而且对每个人。多元文化体验可以使人们更具创造力，与同质群体相比，多元化群体更有可能进行深入思考，并取得更高质量的成果。在大学和工作场所，拥抱来自不同背景的人才和经验将有利于社会更广泛。然而，某些群体在大学和特定领域的代表性不足。具体来说，夏威夷土著人是工程劳动力中代表性最低的群体之一，也是四年制院校工程项目中代表性最低的群体之一。作为夏威夷的主要公共机构，夏威夷大学马诺阿分校在吸引夏威夷原住民参与工程项目方面发挥着核心作用。夏威夷本地工程专业毕业生将在未来的职业生涯中获得许多好处（包括更高的工资），并有各种机会为当地社区做出贡献。有鉴于此，目前重要的是使用循证方法，并无缝适应工程教育中的现有做法，以支持更多的夏威夷土著学生。该项目将通过教育和辅导举措以及研究生阶段的具体成果来提高夏威夷土著人对工程的参与。扩大夏威夷原住民在大学工程项目中的参与将有利于夏威夷原住民社区，同时也将加强整个美国的工程劳动力。为了支持夏威夷原住民学生保留工程课程和追求研究生学位，我们的目标是首先在本科阶段提供关键资源和支持。具体而言，该项目将：1）通过文化心理学方法确定进入研究生工程课程的潜在文化特定障碍; 2）开发源于夏威夷土著文化的课程材料，以实现更符合文化的工程教育; 3）根据学生的学术和个人需求，建立多学科专业发展和凝聚力辅导计划。该项目将开发符合夏威夷土著人学习方式的基于文化的教学工具，并将其纳入工程课程。此外，我们将建立专业发展和指导计划，以创造一个环境，促进夏威夷土著人的教育愿望，并刺激夏威夷土著人在他们未来的工程职业生涯中茁壮成长。我们希望我们的循证方法，结合具体的教育和指导举措，将增加夏威夷原住民学生的归属感，工程学的学习成绩，以及对工程研究生课程招生的兴趣。通过增加夏威夷原住民的包容性，UHM工程项目的文化将转变为更大的多样性。夏威夷原住民在工程研究生课程的广泛参与将进一步提高在广泛的工程工作部门的多样性。此外，具有强大工程背景的夏威夷原住民将能够在弥合政策制定者和当地夏威夷原住民社区之间的差距方面发挥急需的作用，以了解双方独特的文化和观点。该项目的发现和成果有很大的潜力使其他人受益，这些人在STEM中的代表性不足，包括但不限于其他太平洋岛民，阿拉斯加原住民和美洲原住民个人。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

Enhancing diversity can lead to success, not only for minorities, but for everyone. Multicultural experiences can make people more creative, and diverse groups are more likely to think deeply and achieve higher quality outcomes compared to homogenous groups. In universities and in the workplace, embracing the talents and experiences of people from diverse backgrounds will be beneficial for society more broadly. Yet certain groups are underrepresented in universities and in particular fields. Specifically, Native Hawaiians are one of the most underrepresented groups in the engineering workforce and also in engineering programs at four-year institutions. As the primary public institution in Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa serves a central role in engaging Native Hawaiians in engineering programs. Native Hawaiian engineering graduates will have numerous benefits in their future careers (including higher wages) and can have various opportunities to contribute to their local communities. In this light, it is presently important to use evidence-based approaches and seamlessly adapt preexisting practices in engineering education for supporting more Native Hawaiian students. This project will increase the participation of Native Hawaiians in engineering, with implementation via educational and mentoring initiatives and specific focus on outcomes at the graduate level. Broadening the participation of Native Hawaiians in university engineering programs will benefit the Native Hawaiian community while also strengthening the U.S. engineering workforce as a whole. To support Native Hawaiian students’ retention in engineering programs and pursuit of graduate degrees, we aim to provide key resources and support first at the undergraduate level. Specifically, this project will: 1) identify potential culture-specific barriers for entering graduate engineering programs through a cultural psychological approach; 2) develop course materials originating from Native Hawaiian culture for a more culturally aligned engineering education; and 3) establish multi-disciplinary programs for professional development and cohesive mentoring based on students’ academic and personal needs. This project will develop culture-based pedagogical tools consistent with Native Hawaiian ways of learning and integrate them within the engineering curriculum. In addition, we will establish professional development and mentoring programs to create an environment that fosters Native Hawaiians’ educational aspirations and stimulates Native Hawaiians to thrive in their future engineering careers. We expect that our evidence-based approach, combined with concrete educational and mentoring initiatives, will increase Native Hawaiian students’ sense of belonging, academic performance in engineering, and interest in engineering graduate program enrollment. By increasing inclusion of Native Hawaiians, the culture of engineering programs at UHM will be transformed to enable greater diversity. The broad participation of Native Hawaiians in engineering graduate programs will further enhance diversity in a wide range of engineering job sectors. Furthermore, Native Hawaiian individuals with strong engineering backgrounds will be able to play a much-needed role in bridging a gap between policy makers and the local Native Hawaiian community to understand unique cultures and perspectives on each side. Findings and outcomes from this project have high potential to benefit others, who are underrepresented in STEM including, but not limited to, Other Pacific Islanders, Alaska Native and Native American individuals.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.