Award Abstract # 1759092
Pathways to Indigenous STEM (Ma:cidag wo:g STEM Wui)

NSF Org: EES
Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM
Recipient: TOHONO O ODHAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date: August 22, 2018
Latest Amendment Date: May 4, 2022
Award Number: 1759092
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Regina Sievert
rsievert@nsf.gov
 (703)292-2808
EES
 Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: September 1, 2018
End Date: June 30, 2025 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $2,498,458.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $2,609,528.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2018 = $480,832.00
FY 2019 = $517,626.00

FY 2020 = $515,820.00

FY 2021 = $500,000.00

FY 2022 = $595,250.00
History of Investigator:
  • Teresa Newberry (Principal Investigator)
    tnewberry@tocc.edu
  • Mario Montes-Helu (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Adrian Quijada (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Tohono O'odham Community College
86 MILEPOST 115 5N
SELLS
AZ  US  85634
(520)383-8401
Sponsor Congressional District: 07
Primary Place of Performance: Tohono O'odham Community College
State Hwy 86, Milepost 115.5 N
Sells
AZ  US  85634-3129
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
07
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): C2QYJSTXRCN9
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Tribal College & Univers Prog
Primary Program Source: 04001819DB NSF Education & Human Resource
04001920DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04002021DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04002122DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04002021DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):
Program Element Code(s): 174400
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

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. The "Pathways to Indigenous STEM (Ma:cidag wo:g STEM Wui)" project at Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC) directly addresses these goals by increasing the number and diversifying the delivery mode of STEM courses and strengthening the academic support for students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings and improving the academic environment to better meet the needs of Native students encourages students to pursue challenging and rewarding STEM degrees and careers, thus diversifying the nation's workforce and contributing to our country's prosperity and security. The knowledge gained from studying the efficacy of the project will contribute to our understanding of best practices for recruiting and retaining underrepresented students in STEM and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals.

The "Man in the Maze Education Model" (MiME) developed at TOCC will serve as a culturally-based framework for curriculum development and program assessment and will provide an intentional and systematic approach to Indigenizing TOCC's STEM curriculum and programs. The project will realize these goals by focusing on four objectives: (1) Application of a culturally responsive education model that integrates STEM disciplines in a culturally-responsive manner, (2) increasing the number of curricular offerings in the Physical Sciences and online STEM courses, (3) promotion of the professional preparedness of students by engaging them in internships and research experiences, and (4) increased support for transitioning students from high school to TOCC and TOCC to other colleges. This project will result in an assessment and design for STEM instructional improvement that will incorporate elements of self-determination and culturally-based education within the context of the current generation of Tohono O'odham students. The project plan includes unique and innovative instructional strategies that are compatible with the Tohono O'odham culture with a goal of preparing students to face current and future challenges using both 21st-century knowledge and traditional knowledge. Incorporating an Indigenous education model based on the MiME Model represents a significant contribution toward understanding how to implement and assess culturally-based education. Although the MiME Model is culturally specific to TOCC, the model's concepts for integrating STEM into a traditional cultural knowledge base can be adapted for application at tribal colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions.

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.

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