Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for the OSU NBTS program includes Native American undergraduate students in natural science programs and potential future students through pre-college summer camps. Undergraduates are the students that participated in NBTS-guided mentorships while they completed their various internships. Sixteen of these students received NBTS scholarships. Forty mentors were paired with NBTS students in summer mentorships. Mentors were mostly OSU faculty, and also included leaders of NGOs, and tribal members and tribal employees. Each spring NBTS hosted a zoom seminar to help provide learning and resources for faculty interested in mentoring Indigenous students. A total of 362 people attended these seminars. In addition to featured speakers, an important part of these trainings were facilitated discussion panels composed of professionals and students. A total of 12 students participated as panelists and received stipends. The pre-college audience that attended the three Indigenous Youth Camps self-identified as Native American and were entering 9th-12th grades. These youth live in Oregon and were associated with various tribes from Oregon the US. In 2024, CTCLUSI agreed to use NBTS funding to support a School to Work program placing tribal member youth in internships with CTCLUSI Departments. So far, 2 youth have been supported in School to Work internships. Changes/Problems:We continue to struggle with maintaining momentumthat was started in 2019, with changing relationships and internal dynamics. However, the grant has provided opportunities for continued development and internal dialogue to support students. Expanding work with external partners complicates granting requirements, but we are excited for this work to continue. While program coordinators served NBTS at OSU and SWOCC (Southwestern Oregon Community College) in all four years of the program. The SWOCC coordinator position was vacated due to college overall funding at the end of June 2024, and Chemeketa Community College was added as a partner in 2024. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We've been able to send a cohort of 5 NBTS participating students and one mentor to the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society annual conference in fall of 2021 held in Spokane, WA. Each spring NBTS hosts 1-2 zoom seminars about on topics of mentoring indigenous students in STEM, decolonizing education and cultural awareness. We've held six events with a total of 362 attendees, almost all OSU faculty. The new School to Work program with CTCLUSI has, so far, engaged 2 CTCLUSI youth in internships within CTCLUSI departments. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In addition to the Collaborative Meetings with CTCLUSI, there have been two OSU news articles printed about the program or about the youth camp. OSU Extension partnership opens traditionally closed door to Tribal students, July 2024 https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/osu-extension-partnership-opens-traditionally-closed-door-tribal-students Summer camps introduce Indigenous and migrant students to science and college, January 2024 https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/impacts/hispanic-and-indigenous-camps What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Oregon State University has hired a director of Tribal Relations and OSU Extension has created a director of Native and Tribal programs that will continue the work of NBTS and continue the momentum started with NIFA. This work will continue to increase the resources for students and communities on and off campus, and for pre-college students. We hope that we will continue to build upon the work started with NBTS to learn and grow, ultimately increasing the number of Native students who feel comfortable and safe enough to choose OSU.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The USDA-NIFA New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) grant in Oregon, has created a vital pipeline that guides Native youth from cultural programs like the Environmental Leadership for Youth (ELY) camp to community college, Tribal partnerships such as those with Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI), and ultimately to university enrollment. This year's camp served 24 Native youth, facilitated by Indigenous leaders and peer mentors, and included hands-on experiences such as a tour aboard OSU's Pacific Storm research vessel, traditional necklace-making, and field trips coordinated with Tribal representatives. Supported by NBTS and OSU's departments of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, the College of Forestry, and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, the camp empowers Native youth through educational opportunities that honor their heritage and foster career interest in natural resources. Programs like ELY immerse pre-college students in culturally responsive STEM learning, supported by NBTS-funded peer mentors and internships, which strengthen their interest in higher education and environmental careers. The impact of NBTS extends beyond pre-college programs to Native student enrollment at OSU. This fall, OSU enrolled 95 Native students through the Oregon Tribal Student Grant program, more than double any other institution in the state. The USDA-NIFA New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) grant has had a transformative impact on Native student engagement and educational access at Oregon State University (OSU), particularly through initiatives like the Environmental Leadership for Youth (ELY) Indigenous Youth Camp. Now in its third year, the ELY camp introduces Native high school students to college life and STEM career pathways, with a culturally responsive curriculum rooted in environmental science and Indigenous values. This year's camp served 24 Native youth, facilitated by Indigenous leaders and peer mentors, and included hands-on experiences such as a tour aboard OSU's Pacific Storm research vessel, traditional necklace-making, and field trips coordinated with Tribal representatives. Supported by NBTS and OSU's departments of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, the College of Forestry, and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, the camp empowers Native youth through educational opportunities that honor their heritage and foster career interest in natural resources. The impact of NBTS extends beyond pre-college programs to Native student enrollment at OSU. This fall, OSU enrolled 95 Native students through the Oregon Tribal Student Grant program, more than any other institution in the state. OSU's commitment to diverse learning modalities, supportive peer networks, and culturally inclusive resources has created a welcoming environment for Native students to thrive. These programs reflect OSU's dedication to expanding pathways to higher education and supporting Native students in achieving their academic and career goals. The third annual OSU ELY Indigenous Youth Camp was held August 11th - 16th, 2024. Twenty-four high school age youth participated in the camp, along with three community college peer mentors serving as NBTS-supported interns. Two adult staff and one chaperone were at the camp full time, and another three adults helped with the camp for part of the time. This year a $500 stipend was offered to campers completing the program. Unlike past years, camper registrations far exceeded capacity with over 40 youth signing up for camp. The planning team agreed on a cap of 24 youth and a format for prioritizing youth participants using a waiting list; youth from local tribes were prioritized, siblings who registered were all kept on the list together, and Warm Springs youth were prioritized since they were joining as a cohort with a chaperone. On August 7th, prior to the camp, the Program Manager facilitated a zoom orientation and training for all adult participants. The camp is supported by funds from the Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences Department, College of Forestry, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, and the New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) grant. All camp participants stayed in dorms on campus, participated in experiential learning at remote field trip sites and on campus. Activities that were new this year included: Dr. Cristina Eisenberg gave a presentation about Indigenous Knowledge and the Indigenous Natural Resources Office while we were visiting the College of Forestry. Two Indigenous grad students, Ashley Russell and Glenn Jones, provided experiential learning sessions about ethnobotany and cultural fire while at the Peavey Arboretum. A two-hour tour on an ocean research vessel, the Pacific Storm, hosted by the Marine Mammal Institute. PhD students lead a series of learning stations related to their research while the vessel toured the Yaquina Bay. Dr. Luhui Whitebear, Christy Jones and Jocelyn Hernandez met with youth to discuss services and resources serving Indigenous students on campus. We traveled to Foster Reservoir to meet partners from the Grand Ronde Tribe for a short canoe pull and cultural talk with Brian Krehbiel. While at Foster Reservoir, Guillermo Giannico also gave an overview of dam hydrology and discussed processes for dam removal. Fish Martinez, a local Indigenous performance artist and educator, was hired to lead a four-hour necklace-making workshop for youth. Youth made three-strand bone pipe necklaces that they took home. Bowling and games at the Memorial Union. A couple youth and one camp staff person went to the campus gym to work out in the early morning. There was a more formalized Indigenous college student discussion panel on the last day. Panel participants included all three peer mentors, two OSU students who were also past camp participants, and one OSU student who participated in the NBTS program that summer. Guest presenters who were not being paid for their participation were thanked with a gift. Note: this year the Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws (student longhouse) was closed for the summer. Normally, the camp has a tour and dinner with guests at the Ina Haws.
Publications
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