Navajo Technical College has been steadily developing its STEM programming for the last five years, or since the funding of the college?s original TCUP project. Last year?s STEM enrollment at the college increased by 32.5%. Over a six-year period the increase has totaled 52.6%. This is significant because only .5% of American Indians are professionals in STEM fields. In science and engineering fields only .3% of the workforce is American Indian. The Navajo Technical College Engineering and Science Project will develop methodologies successful at achieving high enrollment and graduation rates for American Indian students. Included in this development will be activities such as: 1) Launching two new engineering programs at Navajo Tech, 2) developing an innovative curriculum based upon Native of Ways of Being and constructivist teaching methodologies, 3) working with high school students in an Engineering Student Success Initiative program, 4) providing a STEM Lab with professional and student tutors, 5) an internship program, and 6) economic development designed to focus students on their future. The project will build upon the successes of Navajo Tech?s original TCUP effort to present a replicable model that can be used by other tribal colleges and universities to build extraordinarily successful engineering programs.
