Transforming STEM Education and Supporting Indigenous Scientists

该项目将通过支持西北印度学院（Northwest Indian College）表现出经济需求的高成就低收入学生的保留和毕业，为满足全国对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求做出贡献。西北印第安学院是一所部落学院，位于华盛顿州西雅图北部的Lummi Nation，在华盛顿州有六个扩展校区（Swinomish, Tulalip, Port Gamble, Muckleshoot, Nisqually），在爱达荷州有一个校区（Nez Perce）。在为期5年的时间里，该项目将为43名攻读土著环境科学学士学位的全日制学生提供奖学金。第一年或第二年入学的学生将分别获得四年或三年的奖学金。西北印度学院的使命是，“通过教育，西北印度学院提供土著自决和知识”。本地环境科学项目提供基于地点、体验式和文化基础的课程，并提供各种STEM职业的培训。S-STEM学者将参与一个多代STEM社区。该项目的总体目标是提高有经济需求的低收入、高成就本科生的STEM学位完成率。该目标的关键组成部分是：为有学术才能的土著理科生消除经济障碍；加强学生支援服务，提高每年的留校率；通过S-STEM群体、校友和专业网络建立土著科学社区；为社区导向的STEM毕业后就业提供有意义的途径；并重新获得土著身份。这项工作的独特组成部分是通过网络活动和校友指导来加强土著STEM群体，以支持社区发展并重新获得STEM中的土著身份。该项目将产生关于如何在STEM领域成功招募、留住和过渡美国印第安人/阿拉斯加原住民学生的新知识，并带来积极的就业增长。它还将为创新和前沿研究项目提供奖学金，这些项目积极地将多种认识方式和基于地点的方法纳入其设计中。其优点包括通过消除进入壁垒和促进成功来增加STEM领域的多样性。以土著评价框架为基础的创新评价方法也将有助于了解如何评价土著教育。这项工作的结果将通过学术期刊、教育平台和社区演讲发表。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。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。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Northwest Indian College. Northwest Indian College is a tribal college located on Lummi Nation north of Seattle, Washington with six extended campuses throughout Washington State (Swinomish, Tulalip, Port Gamble, Muckleshoot, Nisqually) and one campus in Idaho (Nez Perce). Over its 5 years duration, this project will fund scholarships to 43 unique full-time students who are pursing bachelor’s degrees in Native Environmental Science. Students starting in their first or second year will receive four- or three-year scholarships, respectively. Northwest Indian College’s mission is, “through education, Northwest Indian College provides Indigenous self-determination and knowledge”. The Native Environmental Science program provides place-based, experiential, and culturally grounded curriculum and provides training in a diverse range of STEM careers. S-STEM scholars will participate in a multi-generational STEM community. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Key components of that goal are: remove financial barriers for academically talented, Indigenous science students; enhance student support services to increase year-to-year retention; build Indigenous science communities through S-STEM cohorts, alumni, and professional networks; articulate meaningful pathways to community-oriented post-graduation STEM employment; and reclaim Indigenous identity. Unique components of this work are the strengthening of Indigenous STEM cohorts through networking events and alumni-student mentoring to support community growth and reclaim Indigenous identity in STEM. This project will generate new knowledge about how to successfully recruit, retain, and transition American Indian / Alaska Native students in STEM fields with positive job growth. It will also provide scholarship on innovative and cutting-edge research projects that actively incorporate multiple ways of knowing and place-based approaches into its design. The merit includes increasing the diversity of STEM fields by removing barriers for entry and promoting success. Innovative evaluation methodology based on the Indigenous Evaluation Framework will also contribute to an understanding of how to assess Indigenous Education. Results of this work will published through academic journals, educational platforms, and community presentations. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income 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.