An Arizona Tribal Council member is 3 credits short of graduating from Northern Arizona University (NAU), and he is not alone. This project teaches math and science courses to Native American and other social science students who have high failure rates in foundational college math and lab science courses. Working in partnership with Coconino Community College and Tohono O'odham Community College, NAU will test an alternative to traditional teaching methods by integrating a block of four courses: math, environmental science, Native cultures, and Indigenous environmental justice. The content of these courses will be integrated into a series of locally-based, problem-based lesson plans relevant to the students' communities. For example, students will analyze the impact of forest fires on land use, watershed and stream restoration within the context of Native American cultures and economies. Instructors from the three institutions, local Native elders, and a pedagogical expert will develop lessons. Based on extensive assessment data, the course will be taught twice, revised and the results disseminated though conferences, a website, and a series of academic papers. The intent is to increase the number of college graduates from a vastly under-represented group, and increase math and science competency for all non-STEM majors. The broader impacts of the program include developing a model that can be transferred to secondary and K-12 institutions, and other under-represented groups, since Native Americans are not the only group that may benefit from this innovative pedagogy.
