Native American students participate in six-week long STEM camp, preparing them for high school, college, and future careers.

BLANDING, Utah ­ - Native American students arrived at USU Eastern Blanding on June 29, 2015, eager to begin a summer of hands-on learning and self-discovery.

AIS PREP (American Indian Services Prefreshman Engineering Program) is a six-week, academic summer program for students who have an interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The curriculum is modeled after similar summer sessions presented by PREP-USA, a national program that emphasizes increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.

AIS PREP focuses on minority students with a Native American background. The majority of students are from the nearby Navajo Nation that occupies portions of southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico. According to the Navajo Nation's economic development report, 32% of Navajos graduate high school, and only 5% of Navajo people have a bachelor's degree. About 60% of the people live below poverty, and unemployment averages 50%.

Summer 2015 is the first session of AIS Prep. All students enrolled are preparing to enter the seventh grade. The program will be offered every summer over the course of three years. Student will then leave the program ready to enter high school with the equivalent of an additional half a year of in-class math and science instruction. AIS PREP instructors hope students will leave with a love of learning and the determination to pursue higher education, thereby raising standards across the board for future generations in the Navajo Nation.

Native American students use engineering principles to build popsicle stick bridges.

Students are transported from the various Indian reservations to dorms at USU Eastern Blanding. They stay overnight on campus Monday through Friday and return home on weekends. During the week they attend classes in logic, problem solving, and engineering. Local professionals speak to students each morning exposing students to the many different career opportunities made available through STEM.

The unique overnight layout of AIS Prep allows additional time for fun activities, leadership training, and field trips for the students according to AIS PREP Director Dr. Sylvia McMillan.

"Our efforts and thoughts are always with the whole child in mind as we seek to help them discover and strengthen their individual interests and skills. We hope this will direct them in their paths toward maturity and becoming active participants in society," Dr. McMillan said.

Native American students create logic maps to program miniature robots

American Indian Services
American Indian Services (AIS) is a nonprofit organization that assists Native Americans in developing their human and natural resources in order to help them make a contribution to society without detracting from the culture and background from which they have emerged. Over the last forty years, AIS scholarships have made it possible for thousands of Native Americans to attend college, obtain degrees, and provide needed support in their communities.
http://www.americanindianservices.org