NSF Org:	DRL Division Of Research On Learning
Awardee:	UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date:	May 19, 2020
Latest Amendment Date:	August 26, 2021
Award Number:	1943630
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Julie Johnson jjohnson@nsf.gov  (703)292-8624 DRL  Division Of Research On Learning EHR  Direct For Education and Human Resources
Start Date:	June 1, 2020
End Date:	May 31, 2025 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$1,152,145.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$707,287.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2020 = $246,219.00 FY 2021 = $461,068.00
History of Investigator:	Breanne  Litts (Principal Investigator) breanne.litts@usu.edu
Awardee Sponsored Research Office:	Utah State University 1000 OLD MAIN HILL LOGAN UT  US  84322-1000 (435)797-1226
Sponsor Congressional District:	01
Primary Place of Performance:	Utah State University 1415 Old Main Hill Logan UT  US  84322-1415
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	01
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	SPE2YDWHDYU4
Parent UEI:	SPE2YDWHDYU4
NSF Program(s):	AISL
Primary Program Source:	040106 NSF Education & Human Resource 040106 NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	102Z, 1045, 8212
Program Element Code(s):	7259
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

As new technologies continue to dominate the world, access to and participation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and computing has become a critical focus of education research, practice, and policy. This issue is exceptionally relevant for American Indians, who remain underrepresented as only 0.2% of the STEM workforce, even though they make up 2% of the U.S. population. In response to this need, this Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) project takes a community-driven design approach, a collaborative design process in which Indigenous partners maintain sovereignty as designers, to collaboratively create three place-based storytelling experiences, stories told in historical and cultural places through location-based media. The place-based storytelling experiences will be digital installations at three culturally, politically, and historically significant sites in the local community where the public can engage with Indigenous science. The work is being done in partnership with the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation (NWBSN).

The principal investigator and the NWBSN will investigate: (a) what are effective strategies and processes to conduct community-driven design with Indigenous partners?; (b) how does designing place-based storytelling experiences develop tribal members’ design, technical, and computational skills?; (c) how does designing these experiences impact tribal members’ scientific, technological, and cultural identities? The goals are to establish a process of community-driven design, build infrastructure to support this process, and understand how this methodological approach can result in culturally-appropriate ways to engage with science through technology. The principal investigator will work with the tribe to complete three intergenerational design cycles (a design cycle is made up of multiple design iterations). Each design cycle will result in one place-based storytelling experience. The goal is to include roughly 15 youth (ages 6-18), 10 Elders, and 10 other community members (i.e. members ages 18-50, likely parents) in each design cycle (35 tribal members total). Some designers are likely to participate in multiple design cycles. The tribe currently has 84 youth ages 6-18 and the project aims to engage at least 30 across all three design cycles. Over four years of designing three different experiences, the NWBSN aims to recruit at least 100 tribal members (just under 20% of the tribe) to make contributions (as designers, storytellers, or to provide cultural artifacts or design feedback).

This CAREER award is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences.

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.

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