USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) Federal Grant Award:
Advancing Postsecondary Attainment & Research in STEAM for Tribal Students (APARSTS), A Partnership with Diné College.
The overall goal of this 4-year collaborative project with Diné College is to provide Tribal students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence in pursuing a degree in STEAM and eventually, to build a strong network of support as they advance in their career field. These students will pave the way for other Tribal students to succeed and this project would serve as a collaborative model for other tribal college and Research I universities to partner to advance educational opportunities for Tribal students, especially in the STEAM fields. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the challenges many tribal communities are faced with such as food scarcity, lack of water resources, no broadband capacity, and ill-equipped health care center. Graduates of this project will have the capacity and support to address the critical science, health, and sustainability issues impacting tribal communities resulting from lack of resources and a solid infrastructure. Our time is now to take action and be part of the solution to helping tribal communities overcome these hardships.
Total grant award: $284,096 |
PI: Karen Francis-Begay, Assistant Vice Provost, Native American Initiatives, The University of Arizona
Co-PI: Kimberly Sierra-Cajas, Director of the Arizona’s Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars (ASEMS) Program, The University of Arizona
Co-PI: Demetra Skaltsas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the STEM Department, Diné College
Co-PI: Benita Litson, Director of the Land Grant Office, Diné College