OEDG Project Summary

This project addresses the underrepresentation of American Indians in the geosciences by establishing and strengthening the geoscience learning paths through the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) and Oglala Lakota College (OLC). The targeted population is middle- and high school-age Native American students living in the region served by OLC’s 11 campus centers and SDSM&T.

SDSM&T has a history of providing educational programs for Native American students dating back to 1990. Major examples include the Scientific Knowledge for Indian Learning & Leadership (SKILL) program; 15 years of hosting summer GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program) programs for Native Americans; an ongoing S-STEM “Tiospaye In Engineering” grant to provide scholarships and campus support; the recently concluded He Sapa Oyate - Geoscience Community at the Heart of Everything That Is Project; and the development in progress of the American Indian Science and Engineering (AISEP) Program.

The proposed project will complement these efforts by encouraging Native American students to develop science projects for presentation at the annual regional science fair as a first step in learning about the importance of the geosciences in everyday life. The result will be an increase in the number of Native American students interested in and prepared to participate in the university-level programs made possible by ongoing collaborations and articulation agreements between OLC and SDSM&T and SDSM&T’s commitment to serving the Native American population.