| NSF Org: |
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 24, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 9, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 1826864 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Joyce Belcher
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $3,824,364.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $3,824,364.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2019 = $816,244.00 FY 2020 = $816,522.00 FY 2021 = $1,591,598.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR RM 1 HONOLULU HI US 96822-2247 (808)956-7800 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
200 West Kawili Street Hilo HI US 96720-4091 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Alliances-Minority Participat. |
| Primary Program Source: |
04001920DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04002021DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04002122DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of well-prepared students highly-qualified and motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM.
For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. The Islands of Opportunity Alliance (IOA) program was established in 2006 in response to the need for a more diverse and skilled technical workforce. That need still exists and is particularly acute in the State of Hawaii. IOA is composed of 11 university and community college partners across the western Pacific, spanning nine distinct language-speaking communities. As a LSAMP STEM Pathways and Research Alliance, the goals of the IOA are to: 1) increase the overall number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students graduating with baccalaureate degrees in STEM and pursuing graduate degrees or entering a STEM career; and 2) investigate how Pacific culture-normed understandings of belonging, motivation, attainment, and success can enculturate western STEM education initiatives. These goals support the National Science Foundation's strategic goal to "cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens." In support of the goals, the alliance-wide activities consist of culture-based STEM curricula enhancements; intrusive academic advising; organized student learning communities; peer tutoring and gateway course support; student recruitment, retention, and culturally-based outreach activities; summer bridge programs; research experiences; and conference and workshops. The research study to design more efficacious STEM programs will contribute to cross-cultural understandings of belonging, motivation, attachment, and success in STEM in the U.S. affiliated Pacific. This can be used as the basis for enhanced dialog with other indigenous cultures in the U.S. Native American/Alaskan Natives share similar customs and values centered on family and community, geographic isolation, histories of colonization, and contemporary revitalization movements. Sharing views of STEM success across the cultures of the IOA and other indigenous cultures within the U.S. will strengthen the well-being of these communities and contribute to the nation?s scientific progress; and moreover, lead to a more talented and diverse STEM workforce.
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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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Islands of Opportunity Alliance (IOA) is composed of 11 university and community college partners across the Pacific, spanning 9 distinct language-speaking communities. Geographically isolated and under-resourced, these institutions are effectively sole providers for the access to higher education of their indigenous Pacific Islander populations. While STEM-related education and training efforts have been growing in the region, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) remain grossly underrepresented in STEM due in part to a complex set of cultural and familial conditions that often position STEM careers outside, or at odds with, Pacific cultural norms. NHPI students across the IOA engaged in peer mentorship, participated in internship experiences, conducted faculty-mentored research, and facilitated K-12 STEM outreach. Research focused on such diverse topics as environmental toxicology of lagoons, coral reef health, manta ray ecology, avian diseases, and geochemical analysis of basalt adzes. These undergraduate and graduate students presented at local student symposia and international conferences. These activities have led to a strong pipeline of NHPI students transferring from the IOA community colleges to the IOA universities, with many students graduating with STEM degrees and several attending graduate schools.
People indigenous to the islands of the Pacific Ocean descend from cultural heritages that for millennia have been steeped in the use of science and technology. For Pacific communities, however, contemporary models of higher education, especially in STEM, often can be a source of alienation from family, community, and culture, thus leading to disparities in engagement and participation. The various IOA institutions provided culturally relevant education and research experiences that are grounded in their indigenous language and culture. This approach serves the national interest, as embodied in NSF’s mission to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to promote the progress of science. The U.S. (the state of Hawaiʻi, the territories of American Samoa and Guam; and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and the U.S.-affiliated region (the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) benefit from the IOA’s building of STEM capacity and increasing the number of NHPI students enrolling, matriculating, and graduating with STEM degrees. This promotes economic and social growth by several former IOA students entering the STEM workforce. It also promotes sustainable island communities in the face of such as issues as climate change while reinforcing indigenous identity and the value of ancestral knowledge. In addition, the K-12 STEM outreach conducted by students across the IOA makes STEM exciting while celebrating their cultural scientific traditions and thereby increasing self-efficacy.
Last Modified: 10/01/2024
Modified by: Joseph H Genz
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