ICE-TI: Expanding Tribal College Programming and Preparing the Next Generation of Native Environmental Scientists and Tribal Leaders

部落学院和大学方案(TCUP)的一个目标是提高为国家土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教学和研究能力。在这些机构扩大STEM课程的范围，可以扩大学生在STEM领域追求富有挑战性和回报的职业的机会，提供在可能具有文化意义的领域进行研究的机会，并鼓励社区和世代对科学和数学教育的欣赏。TCUP院校卓越教学能力(ICE-TI)项目与这一目标直接一致，并寻求加强整个西北地区的STEM教学能力，建立旨在提高工作专业人员技能的证书课程，并提供在西北印度学院(NWIC)获得高级学位的机会。该项目的目的是设计、实施和评估西北工业大学STEM能力建设的三个领域，包括提高卫星校区的STEM教学能力，为在职STEM专业人员建立学士学位后证书课程，以及开发本地环境科学硕士学位，这是该机构的第一个研究生课程。该项目有三个主要目标：(1)通过加强远程教育，增加学生接触有文化基础和以地点为基础的本科生STEM编程的机会；(2)通过提高新兴领域劳动力发展技能和知识的证书计划，为自然资源领域的工作专业人员提供专业发展机会；以及(3)通过发展理学硕士学位，增加获得STEM领域研究生编程的机会。所有活动都以强大的社区参与过程和为学生和教师提供的应用研究机会为基础。该项目在STEM领域为部落大学生和部落公民的劳动力发展、经济发展和培训做出贡献。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。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's Indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI) project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover seeks to strengthen STEM instructional capacity across the Northwest region, build certificate programs designed to increase skills of working professionals, and provide opportunities for advanced degree attainment at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). The purpose of this project is to design, implement, and assess comprehensive institutional improvements at NWIC by focusing on three areas of STEM capacity building including enhancing STEM instructional capacity at satellite campus sites, building post-baccalaureate certificate programs for working STEM professionals, and developing a Master’s degree in Native Environmental Science, the first graduate program at the institution. The project has three main goals: (1) increasing student access to culturally-grounded and place-based undergraduate STEM programming through enhanced distance education, (2) providing working professionals in the Natural Resources fields with opportunities for professional development through certificate programs that enhance skills and knowledge for workforce development in emerging fields, and (3) increasing access to graduate programming in STEM fields through the development of a Master of Science Degree. All activities are informed by a strong community engagement process and applied research opportunities for students and faculty. This project contributes to the workforce development, economic development, and training of tribal college students and tribal citizens in STEM fields.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.