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The University of Arizona Office of Early Academic Outreach is partnering with the University of Alaska, Anchorage in a national Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation Proposal titled Indigenous Alliance: Pre-College Component expanding on Success. By participating in the Indigenous Alliance, Arizona joins nine other states in an attempt to effect a systematic change in the hiring patterns of Indigenous Americans in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by increasing the number of individuals on the path to leadership in those fields.
The grant secures two years of NSF funding at $30,000 per year for The university of Arizona to create a summer program designed to provide Native American high school juniors with a vision of a career in engineering and science; connect the students to professionals in industry and academia; and catalyze their motivation to complete chemistry, physics, and trigonometry before graduating from high school. A grant from the Ak-Chin Casino secured by Karen Francis-Begay and a College of Optical Sciences NSF grant provides matching funds to support the local program. NSF funding for up to fours is available depending on program success. The project team includes representatives from the office of Early Academic Outreach, the President's office, the College of Optical Sciences, Collge of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, Multicultural Affairs and Student Services, Native American Student Affairs, Sunnyside unified School District, Tucson Unified School District, and current UA students.
The University of Alaska's Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program led by Dr. Herb Schroeder builds on the Pre-College experience with additional components that guide indigenous students all the way through the educational pipeline to advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields. the momentum of that project has lead to millions of dollars in federal funding for universities in Alaska and Hawaii to provide these services. By participating in Dr. Schroeder's Indigenous Alliance, The University of Arizona positions itself for additional federal funding opportunities that, with the support of Colleges on our campus, could lead to the development of a similarly effective pipeline program in our state. |
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