NSF Award
2412060
The STEM research ecosystem in South Dakota (SD) relies critically on K-12 schools and teachers and their surrounding communities. The need for pathways for young learners to develop interest and confidence in STEM and to become motivated to work in STEM fields is recognized by SD’s Science & Technology (S&T) Plan, which identifies the importance of "Ideas, Talent, and Companies." This collaborative project incorporates three public and one private primarily undergraduate institutions, three Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs), and three PhD-granting institutions. Additional partners include a specialty school for students with disabilities, SD Board of Regents, SD Department of Education, and a US Department of Energy-funded research facility. An informal science education center across the jurisdiction focuses on "talent" and on the S&T plan's two related strategies to strengthen the SD research ecosystem. These two strategies are (i) increasing the diversity, inclusion, and equity of the SD STEM workforce; and (ii) cultivating a workforce pipeline by promoting STEM careers with SD K-12 students. The project will build a strong network of educators and researchers and strengthen the STEM education landscape across South Dakota, including within the most rural and remote regions and Tribal communities. K-12 students, their teachers, teacher preparation programs, families, post-secondary faculty, and STEM researchers will all benefit. The citizenry will be better informed about STEM research underway within SD, and a broader array of students will see that they are welcome to a seat at the table and are supported to succeed in STEM. Inspiring more underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM has the potential to strengthen the research enterprise in the state and nationwide.<br/><br/>This project is led by Black Hills State University, a predominantly undergraduate institution (PUI) within the SD Board of Regents system. The project’s 35-member leadership team represents a collaboration across a breadth of SD organizations and institutions (i.e., Oglala Lakota College, University of South Dakota Main Campus, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, Augustana University Association, Northern State University, Sinte Gleska University, Sisseton Wahpeton College, Sanford Underground Research Facility/SD Science and Technology Authority, South Dakota Discovery Center). In service to the SD S&T plan, this project includes an Administrative Core focused specifically on STEM education, both in-school and out-of-school, and on three additional cores in STEM Education (K-16), Broadening Participation, and Community Engagement & Outreach. Through these cores, the project will build a jurisdiction-wide network with 6 project goals. The project seeks to: (i) enhance the ability of STEM researchers to engage effectively with K-12 educators and students, the general public, and other audiences outside their disciplines; (ii) identify and nurture STEM teacher leaders, equipping them to strengthen STEM education within their school buildings and districts and to advance STEM education across the state; (iii) enhance the ability of all K-12 teachers to deliver high-quality STEM instruction, especially those who serve rural and Native American populations; (iv) strengthen the level of interest, sense of belonging, and academic preparation in STEM of SD's full array of students – from kindergarten through high school and into post-secondary; (v) generate and share research findings relevant beyond SD about STEM teacher leadership, building student identity in STEM, and factors important in supporting Native American students in STEM; and (vi) provide STEM education guidance and support to the SD Jurisdictional Steering Committee in strengthening collaboration among researchers, educators, and STEM education programs across SD, and to catalyze yet-to-be envisioned efforts related to STEM education. The project has potential to engage STEM researchers, K-12 teachers, and K-12 students in an interconnected network designed to create a pipeline of the next generation for the SD STEM workforce.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
