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The alternative developmental math curriculum offered at two North DakotaTribally Controlled Colleges using a modified pedagogical delivery system offers sound mathematical principals based on life-skills with relevant problem-solving, while explicitly addressing other holistic needs of the student such as math anxiety, persistence, mindset, and the value of collaboration (group work). This cooperative work is intended to create a community of learning which is in tune with traditional Native American cultural practices. Students learn to be responsible for their learning, engage in teamwork, and develop an assenting attitude towards mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will contain a short introduction and description of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaborative program sponsored by NSF and enacted at North Dakota State University, NDSU. PEEC is a program to expand the inclusion of Native American students into the engineering career field while at the same time opening awareness of the opportunities available in tribal communities for engineering talent. It is proposed that such an inclusion will expand the opportunities for engineering career fields on the reservation. A description will be provided as to how the initial concepts have evolved during the years of operation. Also contained within the paper will be a description of the serendipitous events relating to resources, administration staff and students success stories and the implications they have for future successes. Following that will be a discussion of the lessons to be learned from the less than optimal activities and the resulting opportunities in the context of the evolving nature of educational responses. Finally, some approaches will be suggested to obtain positive results from these situations. Future needs and prospects will be discussed to include follow-on funding and extensions to other tribal colleges and mainstream institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will discuss some of the challenges that may come about from a tribal college offering both vocational training and professional engineering programs. The paper will describe synergistic opportunities as well as other situations that could arise as a result of external support, historic political situation and competitions for students, resources and time in the communities making up the service area for most tribal colleges. Potential impacts on the surrounding community both immediate and long-term will be discussed with consideration of implications for economic and infrastructure development. Desirable characteristics of the resources needed to support each program will also be described with special emphasis on faculty, their availability and continual professional development. Context of these considerations to regional and national situations will also be discussed with emphasis on opportunities for mainstream institutions. Comparison to situations faced by mainstream institutions will be considered and potential ramifications will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]