Collaborative Research: Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership and Education in STEM (CIRCLES)

圈子，即培养教育和STEM领导力的土著研究社区联盟，是美国西半部的六个州（爱达荷州、蒙大拿州、新墨西哥州、北达科他州、南达科他州和怀俄明州）之间的合作伙伴关系，旨在解决美国印第安人和阿拉斯加原住民（AI/AN）学生在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科和劳动力中代表性不足的问题。与CIRCLES联盟相关的州内的AI/AN人口占全国AI/AN人口的10.5%。通过与部落社区和为部落服务的大学的现有伙伴关系，在这些州内开发和实施了与STEM相关的活动、项目和合作，为通过联合联盟提高AI/AN学生的成功提供了一条途径。这个由人员、机构和社区组成的网络，以及这个项目的成果，可以成为其他州效仿的全国模式。该项目将首先通过采访促进部落社区内的对话，重点是他们社区的STEM教育，并就如何共同努力实现学生的成功进行头脑风暴。然后，这些对话将导致部落社区在确定项目、活动和计划方面发挥带头作用，这些项目、活动和计划对他们的学生在STEM领域取得成功是最需要的。圈子，即培养教育和STEM领域的土著研究社区联盟，是美国西半部的六个州（爱达荷州、蒙大拿州、新墨西哥州、北达科他州、南达科他州和怀俄明州）之间的合作伙伴关系，旨在解决美国印第安人和阿拉斯加原住民（AI/AN）学生在STEM学科和劳动力中代表性不足的问题。这种低代表性的准备、文化和准入原因需要在参与国内部建立有机发展和可信任的伙伴关系。与CIRCLES联盟相关的州内的AI/AN人口占全国AI/AN人口的10.5%。随后，通过与部落社区和部落学院现有的伙伴关系，在这些州内开发和实施综合的正式和非正式STEM活动，为增加该网络中AI/AN学生的参与、参与和成功提供了途径，并可以为扩展到其他州提供一个全国性的模式。圈子联盟希望通过各州的共同努力增加知识，这些国家将通过对话、访谈和部落实体与EPSCoR管辖区之间的关系建立，共同参与和影响人工智能/人工智能社区。作为这些不断发展的关系的一部分，部落社区将在确定已经成功的STEM项目和计划方面发挥主导作用，并在确定学生STEM教育最需要的计划方面发挥主导作用，以培养适合各自社区经济发展计划的STEM就绪劳动力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The CIRCLES, Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM, Alliance is a partnership between six states in the western half of the U.S. (Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota , South Dakota, and Wyoming) to address the under representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and workforce. The AI/AN population within the states associated with the CIRCLES Alliance represents 10.5% percent of the nation’s AI/AN population. With access to this population, the collective of STEM related activities, programs, and collaborations developed and implemented within these states through existing partnerships with tribal communities and with colleges that serve the tribes provides a path for increasing the success of AI/AN students through the combined Alliance. This network of people, institutions, and communities along with the results of this project could serve as a national model for other states to follow. The project will start by furthering conversations within tribal communities through interviews centered on STEM education in their communities and brainstorming ideas on how to combine efforts towards the success of students. It is then expected that these conversations will lead to tribal communities taking the lead in identifying projects, activities, and programs that are of greatest need to their students for STEM success.The CIRCLES, Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM, Alliance is a partnership between six states in the western half of the U.S. (Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota , South Dakota, and Wyoming) to address the under representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the STEM disciplines and workforce. The preparation, cultural, and access reasons for this this low representation require organically grown and trusted partnerships, which are in place within the participating states. The AI/AN population within the states associated with the CIRCLES Alliance represents 10.5% percent of the nation’s AI/AN population. Subsequently, the development and implementation of integrated formal and informal STEM activities within these states through already existing partnerships with tribal communities and tribal colleges provides a pathway for increasing the engagement, involvement, and success of AI/AN students within this network and could provide a national model for scaling to other states. The CIRCLES Alliance looks to increase the knowledge gained by the combined effort of states that will collectively engage and impact AI/AN communities through conversation, interviews, and relationship building between tribal entities and EPSCoR jurisdictions. As part of these growing relationships, tribal communities will take the lead roles in identifying STEM projects and programs that have been successful and in developing programs that are determined to be of greatest need in the STEM education of their students to produce a STEM-ready workforce that fits into the economic development plans of their respective communities.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.