Using Service Learning to Engage American Indian Students in Engineering Sheree Watson Designing Our Community (DOC)

Designing Our Community (DOC) Program Goals Goal 1: RECRUITMENTGoal 1: RECRUITMENT –Increase the motivation and pre-entry academic preparation of Native American students. Goal 2: RETENTIONGoal 2: RETENTION –Help shape the engineering, engineering technology, and computer science workforce by increasing the number of Native American students graduating from the College of Engineering. Goal 3: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTGoal 3: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT –Improve access to quality engineering and technology to rural and underserved populations by returning highly educated professionals to these communities.

DOC Seminar Background 1-credit seminar1-credit seminar Building community (same place, same time once a week)Building community (same place, same time once a week) Encouraging mentoringEncouraging mentoring Highlighting support programsHighlighting support programs Engaging in professional developmentEngaging in professional development Problem: redundancy for upper classmen

Service Learning Projects Spring `06 - Develop an engineering related activity for 8 th grade math studentsSpring `06 - Develop an engineering related activity for 8 th grade math students Spring `07 - Participate as a project team in one of four community projectsSpring `07 - Participate as a project team in one of four community projects Spring ‘08 – Research and write unfunded, undone Indian Health Service (IHS) Projects for senior design capstone courses at MSUSpring ‘08 – Research and write unfunded, undone Indian Health Service (IHS) Projects for senior design capstone courses at MSU Spring ‘09 – Feasibility study for new reservation high school on alternative energy investmentSpring ‘09 – Feasibility study for new reservation high school on alternative energy investment

Projects “I’ve not really thought about engineering from the teaching perspective and without teachers there would be no engineers.” “Service-learning in this case has been something that has made me get out of my comfort zone and step into somewhat of a leadership position in my group. Leadership is not something that really comes naturally for me so this was good.” “Our project taught me how different principles of engineering relate to everyday life.

Projects “This is the first project like this I have done. It was like a job for an engineer. They had a problem and we had to find a way to solve it.” “We got to experience contribution to society first- hand.” “Engineering isn’t all just number crunching; there is a social aspect as well as a motivation factor.” “I learned how to compromise and give effective criticism as well as how to take it.”