Global climate changes are affecting subarctic and arctic ecosystems and peoples more significantly than anywhere else on the globe. Rural Alaska Natives who subsist in these ecosystems naturally have close ties to the land and are deeply involved in science-based research and land management through tribal organizations, governmental, and research- oriented institutions. To date, rural Alaska Natives have had limited access to quality STEM education addressing their unique cultural and geographic needs and have, therefore, not been engaged in helping to find solutions to these complex ecological issues. We sorely need their input in this day of rapid change. The underlying philosophy behind the Interior-Aleutians (IAC) and Chukchi Campus (CC) Gaalee?ya project is that integrating culture and place into all aspects of their academic STEM experience will support the engagement, capacity, and continuity (Jolly et al. 2004) of rural Alaska Native STEM students. The Gaalee?ya STEM project will build a rigorous and culturally relevant STEM program through the Associate?s level for students in the IAC and CC regions. Gaalee?ya STEM will incorporate cultural values and perspectives and local interests in ecosystem changes with scientific coursework, research, and analysis from a Western academic perspective while allowing students to take courses by distance so that they may remain in their home communities. Mathematics and science courses, which are delivered primarily via audio- conference to rural students, will be enhanced through this project with culturally responsive pedagogies, face-to-face learning intensives, academic tutoring, and increased contact with STEM faculty. Students will also gain research experience through projects designed around the theme of ?ecology of place? to engage, educate, and retain rural Alaska Native students in STEM degrees. Elders and STEM faculty will work together to support the students using an integrative approach. Program objectives are built around gains in student participation, persistence, grade point averages and graduations of rural Alaska Native students with a replicable model for reaching underserved populations as a primary goal of evaluation.
The Interior-Aleutians Campus (I-AC) of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) hosted the Gaalee’ya STEM Project 2008-2014. The main goals were to increase the participation of Alaska Natives in STEM degrees and STEM intensive career preparation programs, and to increase the performance of Alaska Native students in STEM courses. The underlying philosophy is that integrating culture and place into all aspects of the academic experience will support the engagement, capacity, and continuity of undergraduate rural and Alaska Native STEM students. Gaalee’ya supported students pursuing science degrees financially by paying tuition, fees, and textbooks for students taking STEM courses, funding travel to present and attend state and national academic conferences, and purchasing computers and offering technology support. Academic support was offered by providing a mathematics, a science, and an English tutor, and offering academic advising and mentoring. The real heart and soul of the Gaalee’ya STEM Project came from the extracurricular activities that engaged students both culturally and intellectually to explore and understand STEM disciplines by incorporating cultural values, perspectives and local interests in ecosystem changes with scientific coursework. Field trips, camps and retreats, and working with Alaska Native elders and mentors were meaningful learning opportunities. Gaalee’ya served 93 students with ties to 36 different communities throughout Alaska and targeted underrepresented groups in STEM. 83% (77) of the participants were Alaska Native or American Indian and 2.2% (2) Hispanic. The largest percentage of participants were Athabascan 44% (41) and Inupiaq 17% (16), with 8.6% (8) American Indian or Alaska Native in combination, 4.3% (4) Yup’ik, 3.2% (3) Aleut, 3.2% (3) Tlinget, and 2.2% (2) American Indian. 100% (13) of Alaska Native students that have earned the Associate of Science (A.S.) since it was introduced in 2009 were supported by the Gaalee’ya STEM Project. 36 students have earned 54 degrees: 7 Baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Geological Engineering, Biochemistry, Applied Computational Physics, and Alaska Native Studies, 18 Associate of Science, 4 Associate of Arts, 8 Associate of Applied Science, 10 Certificates, and 7 Occupational Endorsements. 21% (19) students maintained an A average (GPA 3.5 – 4.0), another 21% (19) maintained a B average (GPA 3.0-3.49), and 38% (35) were in the C range (GPA 2.0-2.9), which meant they were in good standing as a student with the university. The Gaalee’ya STEM Project emphasized professional development by introducing students to different careers in STEM, meeting AK Native mentors, and supporting students to travel and present at state and national conferences. We hosted the Gaalee’ya STEM Science Symposium "Integrating Traditional Culture & Ecology of Place with Science" to provide students with a chance to showcase their own understanding of how science and culture are related. The broader impact of this work is that indigenous students in Alaska can be successful in the university environment given financial and academic support, and the space to be indigenous in higher learning.
