The University of California, Irvine proposes an American Indian Summer Institute in Computer Science (AISICS) that aims to broaden participation in the computer sciences by actively engaging American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) students in cross-disciplinary culturally relevant hands-on information and computer science educational and social activities. For each of three summers, AI/AN high school students will work with computer science professors, graduate students, undergraduates, and high school teachers to develop interactive story projects. These projects will utilize technologies and concepts used in computer game development, will draw on the significant interest that many high school students feel for computer games, and will provide a means to present culture and history shared by American Indian storytellers in a modern context. About 100 AI/AN high school students will experience a cross-disciplinary culturally relevant curriculum, and their work will become part of a repository that provides a resource for digital curricular content made available to K-12 educators. The students will also participate in an American Indian studies course, a communication skills course, and informational workshops about college and the college admissions process. UC Irvine has offered a previous model of AISICS for eleven summers since 1991. This new AISICS project will enhance the partnership among the University, Title VII American Indian high school education programs, and other American Indian organizations.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0739304
Program Officer
Janice E. Cuny
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2008-02-01
Budget End
2012-01-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$599,723
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697