HR: 11:50h
AN: ED22A-07    [Abstracts]
TI: gidakiimanaaniwigamig (Seek To Know)--A Native Youths Science Immersion Program Created Through a Partnership Between a Tribal College, a Research Laboratory and a Science Museum
AU: * Dalbotten, D M
EM: dalbo001@umn.edu
AF: National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory 2 Third Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AU: Pellerin, H
EM: Hpell10736@aol.com
AF: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, 2101 14th Street, Cloquet, MN 55720 United States
AU: Steiner, M
EM: msteiner@smm.org
AF: Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 West Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55102 United States
AB: The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, an NSF-sponsored Science and Technology Center, through a partnership between the University of Minnesota, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, has created gidakiimanaaniwigamig (Seek to Know), where students in middle and high school participate in hands-on research projects on topics in environmental science through a series of four yearly seasonal camps combined with field trips and after school programming. Through meetings with Native elders, community leaders and educators, we know that the major issues that must be addressed are student retention, gaps in programming that allow students who have been performing successfully in math and science to drift away from their interest in pursuing STEM careers, and concern about moving away from the community to pursue higher education. After-school and summer programs are an effective means of creating interest in STEM careers, but single-contact programs don't have the long-term impact that will create a bridge from grade school to college and beyond. Often children who have learned to love science in grade school gradually move away from this interest as they enter middle and high school. While a single intervention offered by a science camp or visit to a laboratory can be life-altering, once the student is back in their everyday life they may forget that excitement and get sidetracked from the educational goals they formed based on this single experience. We want to build on the epiphany (science is fun!) with continued interaction that allows the students to grow in their ability to understand and enjoy science. In order to foster STEM careers for underrepresented youths we need to create a sustained, long-term, program that takes youths through programs that stimulate that initial excitement and gradually become more intensive and research-oriented as the youths get older. NCED's approach to these challenges is to bring youths into a long-lasting program with repeat contacts; to involve community leaders they trust, such as elders, parents, and teachers; to make connections to traditional Native culture; to provide high-quality hands-on science and involve scientists working on NCED research; and to keep it fun!
UR: http://www.nced.umn.edu
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting