Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The New Beginnings for Choctaw Tribal Students (NBCTS) program is a collaborative grant proposal submitted by Mississippi State University (MSU) and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI). The proposal aligns with goal four of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - to facilitate rural prosperity and economic development, develop an effective and diverse agricultural workforce, and collect graduation data of Tribal students. The NBCTS program will target MBCI high school and college students attending MSU. Recruitment program efforts will target students who attend Choctaw Central High School (CCHS) or participate in the Youth Opportunity Program (YOP). These recruitment efforts will focus on inspiring MBCI students through programming on careers in agriculture. Supporting the recruitment and retention of AI/AN students will improve graduation rates at MSU. With a more highly educated workforce, the MBCI will be able to better fulfill their agricultural, engineering, and healthcare needs, facilitating rural prosperity and economic development. Retention program efforts will more broadly target AI/AN students currently enrolled at MSU, with a focus on the University's MBCI students. To increase the retention and graduation rate of Tribal students at MSU, the proposed NBCTS program includes strategies to strengthen the recruitment and retention of MBCI students at MSU. Recruitment efforts will focus on high school preparation through the implementation of the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum which includes experiential learning activities and MSU recruitment programs including career days, preview weekends, and admissions counselor seminars. Retention efforts will draw on experiential learning, the support and development of student services, and increased academic advising through informal and formal mentorship programs. The NBCTS program will focus retention efforts through the Native American Student Association (NASA) and paid research internships for MBCI students. Strategies to strengthen NASA include developing a scholarly learning community through technological and programmatic support centered around peer mentoring and professional development. NASA members will provide peer mentoring to students attending CCHS. The NASA will also provide a Tribal Cultural Calendar to MSU and will receive financial and transportation support to return home for key cultural holidays with the MBCI. Research internships will provide MBCI students with faculty mentors who will facilitate experiential learning and academic advising aimed at supporting successful transition into graduate school or employment upon graduation. To inform recruitment and retention efforts, focus groups and a climate survey will be conducted with Tribal students at MSU. Future programming will be informed by data collected on the application, drop-out, and graduation rates of MBCI students. The combination of these efforts will facilitate Tribal prosperity by creating an effective and diverse workforce. Changes/Problems:Ongoing personnel changes continue to be an ongoing challenge. Personnel has had to assume additional responsibilities which has led to a few delays. There is an ongoing need to develop an authentic partnership between MSU and MCBI which is advancing each year of the grant. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Staff working with MCBI and NASA students have engaged in both formal and informal training and professional development. MCBI Chief Ben Cyrus was invited to Mississippi State University to provide a historical perspective on the MCBI and ways in which Mississippi State University can support the work happening at MCBI. Additionally, staff members have participated in the FALCON Conference and hosted workshops as part of Native American Heritage Month. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students and staff presented at the FALCON Conference in Denver, CO. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to work closely with the school to help implement the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum. Ongoing plans are being made to expand Preview Days and provide cultural trips to the Chatcha Cultural Museum.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major goals of the project The New Beginning For Choctaw Tribal Students program goals are to (1) increase recruitment of Choctaw Central Highschool Students (CCHS) to Mississippi State University (MSU), (2) increase retention and graduation rates of Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) students at MSU, and (3) foster a culture at Mississippi State University that creates an inviting space for MBCI students. To achieve these goals, the following objectives have been identified: Goal 1: Increase recruitment of CCHS students to MSU. Objective 1.1: Tribal youth will complete the 4-H curriculum through either YOP or CCHS. Objective 1.2: Tribal youth who complete the 4-H curriculum will attend Preview Days at MSU. Objective 1.3: Tribal youth will record videos with community members on educational topics as well as highlight careers that are of importance to the Tribe. Objective 1.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Goal 2: Increase retention and graduation rates of MBCI students at MSU. Object 2.1: MBCI students will join NASA. Objective 2.2: NASA members determine professional development workshops and work with project team to deliver them. Objective 2.3: NASA members will record videos on educational topics related to college experiences. Objective 2.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Goal 3: The culture of MSU will be an inviting space MBCI students. Objective 3.1: The undergraduate Choctaw Cultures class will teach a diverse student body on the history, traditions, and cultures of the Choctaw. Objective 3.2: Conduct a focus group for MBCI students on college experience at MSU. Objective 3.3: Conduct a climate survey for MBCI students at MSU. What was accomplished under these goals? The New Beginnings for Choctaw Tribal Students (NBCTS) grant is focused on creating new pathways of educational attainment for Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) youth by forging relationships and reducing barriers. Goal 1: Increase recruitment of CCHS students to MSU. Objective 1.1: Tribal youth will complete the 4-H curriculum through either YOP or CCHS. Accomplishments: The NBCTS team had 89 youth complete the Build Your Future Curriculum and graduate. Objective 1.2: Tribal youth who complete the 4-H curriculum will attend Preview Days at MSU. Accomplishments: Seventy-five (75) youth were able to attend and participate in Preview Days. Preview Days offered our CCHS students the opportunity to engage with our University President, participate in interactive academic and career pathway activities, and engage in a Q&A roundtable with students from NASA. Objective 1.3: Tribal youth will record videos with community members on educational topics as well as highlight careers that are of importance to the Tribe. Accomplishments: Youth identified careers that were of importance to them and the Tribe. Professionals from various Tribal departments came and spoke with the youth concerning careers that were important to MBCI. Photos have been taken of youth with the guest speakers but no videos have been recorded at the request of the participants. Objective 1.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Accomplishments: Photos have been taken of youth with the guest speakers but no videos have been recorded at the request of the participants. Goal 2: Increase retention and graduation rates of MBCI students at MSU. Object 2.1: MBCI students will join NASA. Accomplishment: Throughout the year NASA members planned and hosted nine (9) events on campus has 12 MCBI students. Objective 2.2: NASA members determine professional development workshops and work with the project team to deliver them. Accomplishments: A total of three (3) NASA members attended and participated in the First Americans Land-grant Consortium (FALCON) conference in Denver, CO. This conference aimed to provide students with professional development & training, networking & collaboration, and planning opportunities. Students walked away inspired by keynote speakers who talked about the importance of authentic research on local tribes, inspired them to explore new ideas, and allowed them to network with other peers. Furthermore, the 3 students presented at the conference on their Evaluation of Choctaw Students at Mississippi State University. NASA members also planned events and workshops throughout the year, examples included, beading circle workshops where participants gathered to practice and share the art of beading and trivia nights for the campus community to learn more about Indigenous culture through trivia games. Additionally, awareness of the history, traditions, and culture happened through a cultural exhibit where participants engaged in conversations, immersive experiences, and partake of traditional food from our Choctaw community. Objective 2.3: NASA members will record videos on educational topics related to college experiences. Accomplishments: Two (2) NASA members recorded videos that were posted on social media platforms. In addition to the videos, four (4) NASA members engaged in a panel discussion on educational topics related to their college experiences. Moreover, one NASA member also served as the keynote speaker for the Graduation Celebration within the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Success. Members of NASA expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude for the ability to tell their own stories and journey through video and speaking opportunities. Objective 2.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Accomplishment: Two (2) students from NASA recorded videos that was posted on NASA social media platforms. The objective for MBCI social media platforms has not yet been met. Goal 3: The culture of MSU will be an inviting space MBCI students. Objective 3.1: The undergraduate Choctaw Cultures class will teach a diverse student body about the history, traditions, and cultures of the Choctaw. Accomplishments: The Choctaw Cultures class has been researched and awaiting approval by the MBCI Tribal Council. Objective 3.2: Conduct a focus group for MBCI students on college experience at MSU. Accomplishments: Focused groups were conducted for MBCI students. Objective 3.3: Conduct a climate survey for MBCI students at MSU. Accomplishment: The climate survey was completed. 54% of Ai/AN students at MSU completed the survey. Results have been aggregated and data has been used to enhance campus climate and create further initiatives.
Publications
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Progress 08/01/22 to 07/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, we reached MBCI youth and their families through the recruitment and retention of youth into the second cohort of students to complete the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum. Participants took part in hands-on sessions and a Choctaw Preview Day at MSU. As part of this process, the grant team itself got to know each other better and found additional people and resources within the University (Admissions, ACT Prep, Recreation) and MBCI communities (Tribal Scholarship, local businesses, healthcare) to support youth going through the training. These additional support people formed a secondary target audience as we made them aware of our project and goals. The members of ISAA were also a target audience during this reporting period. Changes/Problems:This is the first major grant between MSU and MBCI that is a true parternship. There have been many processes and procedures that have had to be developed in order to faciliate the grant. Paperwork related to the internships has been a significant barrier. Also, there has been a signicant change in personnel. The team lost three key members who took other jobs. Other key personnel have had to assume additional responsibilities. The loss of personnel has delayed the progress of some of our planned activities. Additional challenges include youth not wanting to leave MBCI for events such as Choctaw Preview Day. We are looking at ways to include family members at Choctaw Preview Day to ensure youth that MSU is committed to preserving the community aspect of the MBCI culture. Further, many MBCI members do not wish to be videoed, while they will talk to the students, and we have write-ups of those conversations, we do not have any video. Recording videos were listed in two of our stated objectives. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The team met monthly to discuss project goals and challenges. As a result of this project, professional development needs have been identified and plans are being made for future workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to work closely with the school to help implement the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum. As it pertains to the dissemination of data, we hope to have enough data to share at conferences and if COVID-19 rates stay low, we hope to have a community event at MBCI.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The New Beginnings for Choctaw Tribal Students (NBCTS) grant is focused on creating new pathways of educational attainment for Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) youth by forging relationships and reducing barriers. The second cohort of MBCI youth successfully completed the Build Your Future curriculum and the project team is in the process of evaluating ways to modify the curriculum for better cultural relevance. The project directly impacts the 4-H program as well. The 4-H Pledge is now being translated into Choctaw, a first for both the MBCI and Mississippi 4-H. Additionally, the project is impacting MSU AI/AN college students. With the launch of our climate survey, the research team is learning about the unique challenges and barriers MBCI and other AI/AN college students face at MSU. The team will utilize results to inform campus interventions. The project continues to adapt to challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Goal 1: Increase recruitment of CCHS students to MSU. Objective 1.1: Tribal youth will complete the 4-H curriculum through either YOP or CCHS. Accomplishments: The NBCTS team recruited 31 youth participants. Of those, 28 completed the curriculum and were presented with a certificate of completion. Objective 1.2: Tribal youth who complete the 4-H curriculum will attend Preview Days at MSU. Accomplishments: Youth were able to participate in Preview Days. There were some issues with transportation and staffing the hampered participation. Objective 1.3: Tribal youth will record videos with community members on educational topics as well as highlight careers that are of importance to the Tribe. Accomplishments: Youth identified careers that were of importance to them and the Tribe. Professionals from various Tribal departments (engineering, military, law enforcement, wildlife, entrepreneurship/business) came and spoke with the youth concerning careers that were important to MBCI. Photos have been taken of youth with the guest speakers but no videos have been recorded. Objective 1.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Accomplishments: This goal has not yet been met. Goal 2: Increase retention and graduation rates of MBCI students at MSU. Object 2.1: MBCI students will join ISSA. Accomplishments: Following COVID-19, ISSA was slow to regroup. However, this past year ISSA held five events on campus to bring awareness and recruit new members. Objective 2.2: NASA members determine professional development workshops and works with project team to deliver them. ISSA members planned and conducted various events and workshops throughout the year, examples include: hosting Native American Day with a beading circle at MSU; hosting a General Body Meeting where they shared tribal stories relaed to fall holidays; hosting the Indigenous Dance and Culture Demonstration to kick-off Native American Heritage month with educational events; planning the Tuesday Night Lights: Stickball Exerience where community members from MBCI and MSU were able to attend and learn about stickball; and hosting an educational booth at the Internation Fiesta. Objective 2.3: NASA members will record videos on educational topics related to college experiences. This objective is not yet met. Objective 2.4: The MBCI OPI will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. This objective is not yet met. Goal 3: The culture of MSU will be an inviting space MBCI students. Objective 3.1: The undergraduate Choctaw Cultures class will teach a diverse student body on the history, tradition, and cultures of the Choctaw. Goal 3: The culture of MSU will be an inviting space for MBCI students. Objective 3.1: The undergraduate Choctaw Cultures class will teach a diverse student body about the history, tradition, and cultures of the Choctaw. Accomplishments: The Choctaw Cultures class has been researched and the necessary paperwork was done at the University-level to implement the course. The approval packet is ready for the MBCI Tribal council to approve and the goal is to present it at the next Tribal Council meeting after the annual (July) Choctaw Indian Fair. Objective 3.2: Conduct a focus group for MBCI students on college experience at MSU. Focus groups will be schedule for this upcoming Fall/Winter. Objective 3.3: Conduct a climate survey for MBCI students at MSU. The climat survey has been completed. An estimated 54% of AI/AN students at MSU completed the survey. Results have been aggragated.
Publications
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Progress 08/01/21 to 07/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, we reached MBCI youth and their families through the recruitment and retention of youth into the first cohort of students to complete the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum. Participants took part in hands-on sessions and a Choctaw Preview Day at MSU. As part of this process, the grant team itself got to know each other better and found additional people and resources within the University (Admissions, ACT Prep, Recreation) and MBCI communities (Tribal Scholarship, local businesses, healthcare) to support youth going through the training. These additional support people formed a secondary target audience as we made them aware of our project and goals. The members of ISAA were also a target audience during this reporting period. Changes/Problems:Primarily our biggest issue has been COVID-19 and the ongoing impacts associated with it. We are attempting to find creative workarounds to address these issues. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Team members were trained on the 4-H Build Your Future curriculum. Tia Grisham from MBCI met with ISAA members to discuss how college could impact MBCI college students as well as the Tribal community. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to the community in various ways. Results from the post-evaluation of the Choctaw Preview Day were shared with Tribal members Tia Grisham, Robert Ben, and Kendra Anderson. Youth shared their experiences with their family and community at a closing banquet. MBCI Chief Cyrus Ben was present at the banquet and congratulated the youth on their accomplishments. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Many of the goals, particularly as they relate to college students (ISAA), are dependent on COVID-19 rates. Many of the ISAA members reported that they were stressed and overwhelmed with the ongoing effects of COVID-19 (classes being moved online, sickness within the family, etc) and that limited their ability to take on additional responsibilities. We hope to use the data from the climate surveys to inform the focus groups and from there, have a better understanding of how to alleviate some of the pressure on our ISAA students.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The New Beginnings for Choctaw Tribal Students (NBCTS) grant is focused on creating new pathways of educational attainment for Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) youth by forging relationships and reducing barriers. The first cohort of MBCI youth successfully completed the Build Your Future curriculum and the project team is in the process of evaluating ways to modify the curriculum for better cultural relevance. The project directly impacts the 4-H program as well. The 4-H Pledge is now being translated into Choctaw, a first for both the MBCI and Mississippi 4-H. Additionally, the project is impacting MSU AI/AN college students. With the launch of our climate survey, the research team is learning about the unique challenges and barriers MBCI and other AI/AN college students face at MSU. The team will utilize results to inform campus interventions. The project continues to adapt to challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Goal 1: Increase recruitment of Choctaw Central High School (CCHS) students to Mississippi State University (MSU). Objective 1.1: Tribal youth will complete the 4-H curriculum,Build Your Future, through either YOP or CCHS. Accomplishments: The NBCTS team recruited 22 MBCI youth to participate in the Build Your Future 4-H curriculum. Of the 22 youths who initially enrolled, 16 completed the curriculum. Pre- and post-program evaluations were conducted and are in the process of being matched and analyzed by the NBCTS team. Objective 1.2: Tribal youth who complete the 4-H curriculum, Build Your Future, will attend Preview Days at MSU. Accomplishments: Of the 16 youth that completed the Build Your Future 4-H curriculum, 13 were able to attend the first-ever Choctaw Preview Day at MSU. A post-evaluation was conducted directly after the event and the youth overwhelmingly stated that playing stickball at the Junction (the main thoroughfare at MSU) was especially meaningful to them. Objective 1.3: Tribal youth will record videos with community members on educational topics as well as highlight careers that are of importance to the Tribe. Accomplishments: Tribal youth were able to meet with community members and discuss education and careers that are important to the Tribe. While some of the interviews were recorded, a greater emphasis on how to record short segments that are meaningful to viewers will be taught in the future. Objective 1.4: The MBCI Office of Public Information (OPI) will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms. Accomplishments: This objective is not yet met. Goal 2: Increase retention and graduation rates of MBCI students at MSU. Object 2.1: MBCI students will join NASA. Accomplishments: NASA whose name was changed to ISAA (Indigenous Students and Allies Association) after the start of the project, has suffered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant project has brought renewed interest in the association, however, with many ISAA members attending the Choctaw Preview Days and participating in the stickball game at MSU. Objective 2.2: NASA members determine professional development workshops and work with the project team to deliver them. Accomplishments: This objective is not yet met due to the restrictions of COVID-19. The objective is ongoing with plans to implement more professional development workshops in 2022-2023. Objective 2.3: NASA members will record videos on educational topics related to college experiences. Accomplishments: This objective is not yet met due to the impact of COVID-19. Objective 2.4: The MBCI Office of Public Information (OPI) will approve the videos for release on the Chahta Alla Youth Council social media platforms as well as NASA social media platforms Accomplishments: This objective is not yet met due to the impact of COVID-19. Goal 3: The culture of MSU will be an inviting space for MBCI students. Objective 3.1: The undergraduate Choctaw Cultures class will teach a diverse student body about the history, tradition, and cultures of the Choctaw. Accomplishments: The Choctaw Cultures class has been researched and the necessary paperwork was done at the University-level to implement the course. The approval packet is ready for the MBCI Tribal council to approve and the goal is to present it at the next Tribal Council meeting after the annual (July) Choctaw Indian Fair. Objective 3.2: Conduct a focus group for MBCI students on college experience at MSU. Accomplishments: Following the completion of the climate survey for MBCI students at MSU, focus groups will be scheduled and conducted. Objective 3.3: Conduct a climate survey for MBCI students at MSU. Accomplishments: A climate survey has been disseminated and data collection is ongoing. To date, nearly 15% of AI/AN students at MSU have completed the climate survey. Recruitment will continue in the coming months/semester.
Publications
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