Native STEM Portraits (NSP)
Native STEM Portraits: A Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods Study of the Intersectional Experiences of Native Learners and Professionals in STEM was a five-year collaboration between TERC, the University of Georgia (UGA), and Advancing Indigenous People in STEM (AISES). Beginning in 2020, the project sought to investigate the experiences and stories of Native students, faculty, and other professionals in STEM. NSP sought to identify and make visible how Native individuals encounter, navigate, respond to, and are changed by supports and obstacles in STEM higher education and professions. The project goals were to:
- Manage and enrich partnerships, collaborations and advisory relationships between a research organization (TERC), a professional organization (Advancing Indigenous People in STEM), a university (University of Georgia), plus a cohort of Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) made up of a 2-year Tribal College (TCU) and four Native-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NSNTIs). The project also worked with IHE collaborators (a group TCUs and NSNTIs accessed through the IHE partners) and an Advisory Council of Native and non-Native educators and other professionals.
- Complete a scoping review of the literature examining the current landscape of research on the recruitment and retention of Native scientists in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.
- Perform a longitudinal study with qualitative and quantitative measures examining the personal experiences and cultural perspectives influencing Native students’ successful navigation of entry and completion of undergraduate and graduate programs. This research was based on surveys and photo elicitation interviews, where participants took their own photos to describe their experiences. The longitudinal element of the study involved two populations (recruited broadly across the U.S. through project partners): (1) Native STEM students in undergraduate and graduate programs; and (2) Native STEM faculty and other professionals.
- Perform additional research to inform the academic contexts of Native students’ growth and persistence in STEM programs.
- Give back to our project’s participants by sharing our findings with Native communities and ties.
Dedication
This website is dedicated to the Native participants who honored us with beautiful, thoughtful contributions during our project. The participant-generated photos, captions, and interview quotes illustrate the complexity of Native identities in STEM and the survivance of Native scientists. We also offer recommendations to institutions of higher education on how they can recruit and retain Native scientists based on what participants shared during the study.
About TERC
TERC is a nonprofit made up of teams of math and science education and research experts dedicated to innovation and creative problem solving. At the frontier of theory and practice, TERC’s work encompasses research, content and curriculum development, technology innovation, professional development, and program evaluation. TERC has a passion for social justice and strives to create level playing fields for all learners, reaching more than three million students every year. To learn more, please visit www.terc.edu.