Developing & Testing Innovations: Native American Middle School Students After-school STEM Program
This program focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of Tribal after school STEM programs by incorporating Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and 3D printing through spatial design activities that are relatable to both boys and girls.
Objectives
The objectives of this NSF funded project are to:
- Collaborate with 5 other entities to increase the participation of Native Americans in technology-rich STEM after school learning environments;
- Provide professional learning opportunities for after school educators, to familiarize them with the technology that will be introduced to the students throughout the semester;
- Develop an immersive after school experience grounded in culturally relevant teaching and learning strategies; and
- Create technology centers at the after school sites and an inclusive curriculum focused on each Tribal Nation.
Activities
The students participate in hour long weekly sessions at the Tribal after school program in which they learn about various aspects of spatial design, connect those aspects of spatial design with their Tribal traditions, and complete a hands-on activity based on one of seven modules that will be presented through the course of each semester.
Partners
- Citizen Potawatomi Nation
- Pawnee Nation
- Chickasaw Nation
- The Center for Sovereign Nations
- The National American Indian and Science Engineering Fair (NAISEF)
- The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Resources
Questions can be emailed to mxrlab_itest@okstate.edu or give us a call at (405) 334-5254