2225630

Ice-Ti: Nicc's Baccalaureate in Indigenous Environmental Health - 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 increases the opportunities for 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 project at Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) aligns with this goal through the development and delivery of the institution's first four-year STEM degree. Designed to specifically address indigenous community contexts, students who complete the degree will possess a strong, multidisciplinary understanding of environmental problems, their impacts on human health and well-being, and solutions to manage those issues.

Data compiled through a feasibility study indicate that workforce demand for this expertise and skill set is strong in NICC's region, providing significant career opportunities for graduates and contributing to the community's economic stability.

The new Bachelor of Science in Indigenous Environmental Health will build on NICC's existing Associate of Science in General Science Studies. Project activities for developing and delivering this degree include curriculum design, hiring of additional faculty, equipping and enhancing additional STEM laboratories, and securing accreditations for the degree.

The curriculum will include partnerships with tribal elders and STEM professionals as students investigate local place-based environmental issues relevant to the indigenous community. Core program requirements include the successful completion of a set of upper-level courses across health, environmental, and indigenous science disciplines, as well as the design and completion of both senior capstone and senior research projects.

The delivery of this degree has the added significance of advancing NICC's STEM degree offerings to the baccalaureate level while providing culturally responsive career opportunities that will benefit its graduates and the community at large.

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.

Nebraska Indian Community College

47.076 - Education and Human Resources

Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) [NSF]

Macy, Nebraska 68039-0428 United States

Single Zip Code

None