Recipient Organization
HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY
155 INDIAN AVE.
LAWRENCE,KS 66046
Performing Department
Natural and Social Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Student experiential learning is the focus of this proposal, "Developing Leaders in the Sustainability Field." Much of the project aligns with the Education/Teaching Grant, but we are applying for a Regular Grant. Project activities will be undertaken on behalf of our own students and managed by co-PDs William Welton and Matt Stapleton of Haskell Indian Nations University.Haskell will identify and develop student leaders by encouraging student-driven sustainability projects. The students will be mentored and educated based on the lessons learned in the last grant cycle. We will concentrate on guiding students to respond effectively to unexpected disruptions. Students will be able to transfer skills learned to post-graduation sustainability and other employment.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
In the new grant cycle, Haskell will again identify and develop student leaders through student-driven sustainability projects.Lessons learned in the last grant cycle will be incorporated into the training model earlier students received. In addressing the challenges that arose in the last grant cycle, students will be encouraged to tackle setbacks creatively. For example, adverse impacts of weather extremes or the adverse impacts of in-person school closure due to pandemic outbreaks.The experiential learning opportunities provided through this grant funding will be open to all Haskell students, as each major course of study brings its own unique perspective and strengths to increasing sustainability on campus. The program will be managed by Haskell faculty and staff.The proposed program should also lead to ideas for better collaboration between faculty and outside entities. There will be a better understanding between various departments on campus, e.g., Academica and Facilities (groundskeeping) as well.Most significantly, this proposal will promote leadership in sustainability. Students will be able to transfer skills learned to post-graduation sustainability and other employment.Since the goal of the grant is to develop student leaders as they conduct sustainability projects of their own choosing, the projects they will work on aren't known a priori. Students may choose to work on projects on Haskell's campus, or they may choose projects to carry out in their home communities. Haskell is an inter-tribal institution, serving students throughout the United States. Tribal involvement will depend on the affiliations of the students involved and the projects they choose to develop, lead, and manage.In addition to the benefit of each project, in and of its self, the major goal for these projects is for student leaders to learn the process for creating, funding, managing, completing, and reporting on sustainability projects. To this end, they will follow project guidelines like the one outlined below. The guidelines will be tweaked to fit the needs of individual projects--the first step in nimbly and creatively mitigating unforeseen adverse impacts. Each guideline is an objective for each student-driven project.Guidelines/Objectives for Student-Lead ProjectsStudent(s) will:Develop a logic model with proposed inputs and outcomesWrite a proposed plan of action to achieve the outcomes in the logic modelCreate a timelineSecure a mentorDevelop a budgetProvide a plan to assess the success of the projectSubmit the logic model, plan of action, timeline, budget, assessment plan and mentor's name (steps a--f) to the Equity grant co-PIs or their designee(s).The Equity grant PDs, with the support of the sustainability expert and other Haskell staff, will approve the project or send it back to the student(s) for revisionsProjects will be awarded funding based on the merits of the proposals and funding availabilityOnce the project plan is approved, students will:Recruit other students to work on the project in paid or volunteer capacities. Recruiting strategies will use skills students have learned in marketing and other classes to engage the broadest audience possible. Strategies may include informational booths at various on-campus events, flyers, social media, presentations to the Student Senate and other student organizations, and presentations in sustainability-related classesImplement the projectSubmit regular progress reports to the Equity PDs or their designee(s). The report should include hurdles encountered and solutions implemented, timeline and budget objectives met or explanations as to why notAssess the project, as outlined in the assessment plan of the students' proposalPresent a poster describing their project at the annual Haskell-KU (University of Kansas) Undergraduate Research Symposium
Project Methods
Haskell's mission is to build the leadership capacity of our students by serving as the leading institution of academic excellence, cultural and intellectual prominence, and holistic education to address the needs of Indigenous communities.An issue that came up under the original NIFA Equity Grant focused on sustainability (2014) was that student projects were often abandoned after the student who started it graduated. In the last grant cycle, Haskell worked toward increasing the resiliency, or continuity, of campus sustainability projects. We did this by upgrading the experiential learning opportunities for students. The process of creating a project was formalized and students were trained in how to develop a budget, a proposal, reports, and leadership skills. Students worked on initiatives of their own design, within broad categories of food, agricultural, natural resources, and human science (FANH). The goal was to have student-leaders mentor those coming up behind them to continue work on ongoing sustainability projects and start new ones.Although identification and development of student leaders was achieved, larger challenges to the resiliency of our sustainability programs arose. Three major disruptions occurred in the 2018-2022 cycle. Realistically, they must be addressed as we move forward. This is true for the institution and especially for student development. Those disruptions were: (1) unanticipated change in several university administrative positions, including president, vice president of academic affairs, and various deans (2) pandemic (Covid-related) impacts and responses, including challenges of virtual/hybrid learning, partial or total closure of campus, and (3) hit-and-miss impacts from extreme weather events, such as flooding, snowstorms, or extensive heat periods.In the new grant cycle, Haskell will again identify and develop student leaders through student-driven sustainability projects.Lessons learned in the last grant cycle will be incorporated into the training model earlier students received. In addressing the challenges that arose in the last grant cycle, students will be encouraged to tackle setbacks creatively. For example, adverse impacts of weather extremes or the adverse impacts of in-person school closure due to pandemic outbreaks.The experiential learning opportunities provided through this grant funding will be open to all Haskell students, as each major course of study brings its own unique perspective and strengths to increasing sustainability on campus. The program will be managed by Haskell faculty and staff.The proposed program should also lead to ideas for better collaboration between faculty and outside entities. There will be a better understanding between various departments on campus, e.g., Academica and Facilities (groundskeeping) as well.Most significantly, this proposal will promote leadership in sustainability. Students will be able to transfer skills learned to post-graduation sustainability and other employment.Student projects will be proposed and managed according to the guidelines outlined earlier. Students will be mentored throughout the project by the PDs and grant staff.