In 2001, SIPI received a five-year TCUP Implementation Grant to support the development of science, mathematics, engineering and technology education. SIPI proposed a comprehensive academic enhancement project, entitled 'Vision 21: Expanding STEM higher education for Native Americans in the 21st century', designed to build capacity among faculty and improve the school's science education infrastructure. Vision 21 Phase I resulted in SIPI being well positioned in three areas. First, we have a well-trained teaching faculty with a broad repertoire of instructional strategies. Second, we have a state of the art science education facility with well-equipped labs across the natural and physical sciences. Third, we have an established undergraduate research experience program with a proven record of enhancing student success. We propose to leverage this strong underpinning with our Phase II request, and have chosen two overarching themes, and 4 goals, which extend our reach beyond the basic capacity building of Phase I. In Phase II we will focus on: I. Access to higher education Goal 1 Improve outreach to area schools so as to help students move effectively from high school to SIPI, and on to high-demand STEM careers, through early assessment and better aligning secondary and postsecondary curriculum. Goal 2. Increase access of Native American college students to science and technology degrees through distance education. II. Best strategies to prepare students for future careers as technologists, scientists and engineers Goal 3. Improve curriculum and course offerings within STEM associate degree programs to prepare students to be successful at four-year institutions and/or to assume productive careers in the STEM workforce Goal 4. Increase student and faculty research capacity. Intellectual merit SIPI is a national community college with students from over 100 tribes whose
