Faculty at Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) and the University of North Dakota (UND) are collaborating to develop the Turtle Mountain Field Station (TMFS), a center for research, education, and outreach in geospatial technologies. The TMFS brings together Native American college students, tribal community educators, rural secondary school teachers, rural secondary school computer technicians, and faculty, staff, and graduate students at UND. The TMFS provides a strong foundation for a geospatial technology program that will enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines at TMCC and within secondary schools throughout north central North Dakota. This is being accomplished through the development of Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and remote sensing curricula for integration into TMCC's STEM discipline and other courses, including agriculture, forestry, life sciences, environmental public health, and Native American studies. TMFS is also providing summer internship opportunities for TMCC students to work with UND faculty and graduate students on research projects involving geospatial technology. In addition, a GIS certificate and an associate of science degree in geography are being developed for implementation at TMCC. Finally, the project is offering hands-on workshops for secondary school educators and computer technicians. Over two years, the TMFS project will directly impact 60 university and college faculty, staff, and students, as well as secondary school educators, in North Dakota. The TMFS is serving tribal and rural communities and providing an opportunity for TMCC students to learn about and to experience geospatial technology research methodology and applications in STEM disciplines. These students are better prepared to apply knowledge and technical skills gained to the challenges of economic development, land management, natural resource management, rural health services, and agriculture in tribal and rural areas. The tribal and other rural secondary teachers and computer technicians are developing professionally and have access to TMFS-developed curriculum that enhances STEM discipline experiences for tribal and other rural secondary school students.
