Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants

 

This grants program is designed to promote and strengthen higher education instruction in the food and agricultural sciences at the 34 Tribal Colleges designated as 1994 Land-Grant Institutions in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, as amended. Plans of Work should focus on undergraduate and/or graduate studies in the food and agricultural sciences in one or more of the following areas: Curricula Design and Materials Development, Faculty Development and Preparation for Teaching, Instruction Delivery Systems, Student Experiential Learning, Equipment and Instrumentation for Teaching, or Student Recruitment and Retention. The purpose of the TCEG Program is to provide funding to enhance educational opportunities for Native Americans in the food and agricultural sciences. The TCEG program is intended to strengthen institutional capacity to deliver relevant formal education opportunities. The TCEG is intended to be a component of the applicant 1994 institutions land grant roadmap or strategic planning process. To the extent practicable, priorities should reflect the following national critical needs areas: 1. Sustainable energy 2. Global food security and hunger 3. Climate change 4. Nutrition and preventing childhood obesity 5. Food safety 6. Sustainable rural economies Awards are made upon approval of each institutions application for a grant that relate to an institutions long-range goals. As indicated in Part 1, C. of the RFA, an application may address one (1) or more of the following program areas: Curricula Design and Materials Development Faculty Development and Preparation for Teaching Instruction Delivery Systems Student Experiential Learning Equipment and Instrumentation for Teaching Student Recruitment and Retention Recognizing that strengthening instructional programs is a long-term ongoing process, the TCEG program is interested in funding subsequent phases of previously funded projects in order to strengthen institutional capacity, and institutions are encouraged to build on a theme over several grant awards to reach institutional long-range goals.

Active 10.221 National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 The grant program continued its third year of a four-year continuation cycle in 2016. Funds in the amount of $3,439,000 were distributed among the 34 schools at approximately $101,147 each. Continuations allow schools to compete for funding that provides an annual installment of money over a multi-year period. Equity continuations run for four years. In 2016, the awards represented the third year of a four-year continuation. The amount of $3,439,000 were distributed among the 34 schools at approximately $101,147 each. Continuations allow schools to compete for funding that provides an annual installment of money over a multi-year period. Equity continuations run for four (4) years. In 2016, the awards represented the third year of a four-year continuation.
Fiscal Year 2017 The grant program continued its fourth and final year of a four-year continuation cycle in 2017. Funds in the amount of $3,439,000 were distributed among the 34 schools at approximately $101,147 each. Continuations allow the 34 qualifying schools to compete for funding that provides an annual installment of money over a multi-year period. Equity continuations run for four years. In 2017, the awards represented the fourth year of a four-year continuation.
Fiscal Year 2018 A total of 34 proposals we submitted and 34 were recommended for funding in 2018. $3,439,000 was distributed to 35 institutions.
Fiscal Year 2019 A total of 35 programs were funded. Red Lake Nation College was funded because it was added to the Farm Bill in 2018. This was the second year for a 4 year continuation award.
Fiscal Year 2020 FY 2020 is projected to be the same as FY 2019.
Fiscal Year 2023 Pertinent details will be provided by program at a future date. Authority for the Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants (TCEG) program is contained in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note) as amended by the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 note). Appropriated funds are to be awarded to the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (hereinafter referred to as 1994 Institutions) for Education capacity building and funds are to be distributed equally among institutions that meet eligibility requirements., 7 U.S.C. 301 note Applications may be submitted by any of the Tribal colleges and universities designated as 1994 Land-Grant Institutions under the Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, as amended. This Act, as amended in Section 533(a), requires that each 1994 Land-Grant Institution be accredited or making progress towards accreditation and be recognized as a legal entity. If accreditation is being sought, a college must demonstrate its progress towards accreditation by a letter from a nationally recognized accreditation agency affirming receipt of application for an accreditation site visit or other such documentation. An applicant's failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of an application deadline will result in NIFA returning the application without review or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of projec Current Listing of 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (aka Tribal Colleges):: Aaniiih Nakoda College; Bay Mills Community College; Blackfeet Community College; Cankdeska Cikana Community College; Chief Dull Knife College; College of Menominee Nation; College of the Muscogee Nation; Dine' College; Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College; Fort Peck Community College; Haskell Indian Nations University; Ilisagvik College; Institute of American Indian Arts; Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College; Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College; Leech Lake Tribal College; Little Big Horn College; Little Priest Tribal College; Navajo Technical University; Nebraska Indian Community College; Nueta, Hidatsa and Sahnish College; Northwest Indian College; Oglala Lakota College; Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College; Salish Kootenai College; Sinte Gleska University; Sisseton Wahpeton College; Sitting Bull College; Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute; Stone Child College; Tohono O'odham Community College; Tu The System for Award Management (SAM) combines eight federal procurement systems, including CCR, and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. CCR activities are conducted through SAM (the CCR website will redirect users to SAM). Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and System for Award Management (SAM): Each applicant (unless excepted under 2 CFR ? 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR ? 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) Provide a valid UEI number in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. It also must state that the Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant. Applicants must furnish the information required in the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs). Successful applicants recommended for funding must furnish the information and assurances requested during the award documentation process. These include, but are not limited to the following: Organizational Management Information - Specific management information relating to an applicant shall be submitted on a one time basis, with updates on an as needed basis, as part of the responsibility determination prior to the award of a grant identified under this RFA, if such information has not been provided previously under this or another NIFA program. NIFA will provide copies of forms recommended for use in fulfilling these requirements as part of the pre-award process. Although an applicant may be eligible based on its status as one of these entities, there are factors which may exclude an applicant from receiving Federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or suspension of an individual involved or a determination that an applicant is not responsible based on submitted organizational management information). This information collection is approved under OMB Circular Control No. 0524-0026, "Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture Regulations Assuring Civil Rights, Compliance and Organization Information." SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available as follows: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. Preapplication coordination is required. All Requests for Applications (RFAs) are published on the Agency’s website and Grants.gov. Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. Please see the following Grants.gov link for more information: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) only accepts electronic applications which are submitted via Grants.gov in response to specific Requests for Applications (RFA). Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. For information about the pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle application processes see: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html. Further, applicants must follow the instructions provided in the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide, which can be assessed as follows: Adobe NIFA Applications. 2 CFR part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and 2 CFR part 400 USDA's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply to this program. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the RFA. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the Competitive Request for Applications (RFA). 2 CFR 200 - Subpart C and Appendix I and 2 CFR part 400 apply to this Program. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 30 to 60 days. From 30 to 60 days. Contact the National Program Leader (NPL), as indicated per CFDA Section # 152 - Headquarters Office regarding dates for specific deadlines, start and end dates, and range of approval/disapproval time. Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the Grants.gov website. NIFA's respective links regarding general information are provided below: http://nifa.usda.gov/ http://www.grants.gov. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Not applicable. Specific details are provided in the Request for Applications (RFA), which are generally published annually. The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg 2 CFR part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and 2 CFR part 400 USDA's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply to this program. Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg The Tribal College Equity Program (TCEG) provides funds to enhance educational opportunities for Native Americans by strengthening instructional programs in the food and agricultural sciences at the thirty four (34) tribal colleges designated as the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (hereinafter referred to as 1994 Institutions). Under this authority, appropriated funds are to be awarded to the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (hereinafter referred to as 1994 Institutions) for Education capacity building and funds are to be distributed equally among institutions that meet eligibility requirements. Performance Reports: (Pertinent details regarding Performance Monitoring Reports are provided above.) Relation to other audit requirements, but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). This program is also subject to audit by the cognizant Federal audit agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General. Relation to other audit requirements, but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). This program is also subject to audit by the cognizant Federal audit agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General. In accordance with 2 CFR Part 400 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, ? 200.334 Retention requirements for records. Grantees shall maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for authorized purposes. Grant-related records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and must be retained at least three (3) years. Records must be retained beyond the three (3) year period if litigation is pending or audit findings have not been resolved. 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D applies to this program. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Under this RFA, only new applications for four-year continuation awards may be submitted to the TCEG Program. These are project applications not previously submitted to TCEG. All new applications will be reviewed by a review panel using the process and criteria described in Part V of the RFA – Application Review Requirements. 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D applies to this program. In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed five (5) years. Further details are provided in the Award document Form NIFA-2009 and the NIFA General Terms and Conditions Grants and Cooperative Agreements (dated October 2016) at: https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-general-terms-and-conditions-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-october-2016. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/tribal-colleges-education-equity-program-tceg RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. NIFA utilizes the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), a secure, web-based electronic payment and information system that allows federal agencies to administer funds. Currently, ASAP is the only payment source for new NIFA grantees. National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 419205, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 Courier/Package Delivery Address: 2312 East Bannister Road, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-3061 USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader,
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, Division of Community and Education, National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 419205, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-6205
Courier/Package Delivery Address:
2312 East Bannister Road, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-3061
Kansas City, MO 64141 US
erin.riley@usda.gov
Phone: (816) 926-2131 http://nifa.usda.gov/program/tribal-equity-grants-program 12-1500-0-1-352 (Project Grants) FY 22$4,500,000.00; FY 23 est $4,500,000.00; FY 24 FY 21$3,439,000.00; FY 20$4,000,000.00; FY 19$3,439,000.00; FY 18$3,439,000.00; FY 17$3,439,000.00; FY 16$3,439,000.00; - Based on current legislation there are no set-asides for the Higher-Ed Native American Institutions program. Further, federal administration is not deducted from the program. Appropriated funds are to be awarded to the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (hereinafter referred to as 1994 Institutions) for Education capacity building and funds are to be distributed equally among institutions that meet eligibility requirements. Equity Funds for ineligible 1994 institutions or of those who fail to apply by the application submission date will be redistributed equally among the remaining eligible 1994 institutions. Under this RFA, only new applications for four-year continuation awards may be submitted to the TCEG Program. These are project applications not previously submitted to TCEG. All new applications will be reviewed by a review panel using the process and criteria described in Part V of the RFA - Application Review Requirements. If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive and/or capacity project grant, or cooperative agreement are established, these amounts will be announced in the annual Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current As an administrator of U.S. government support, NIFA works in partnership with grantees to ensure responsible stewardship of federal funds. Our grantees and partners are required to comply with all relevant rules and regulations. The following resources are provided to NIFA's partners and award recipients to support their adherence to federal regulations governing program performance: NIFA's primary (main) website: https://nifa.usda.gov/regulations-and-guidelines The following represent specific documents and direct links: POLICY GUIDE NIFA's Federal Assistance Policy Guide describes agency policies and procedures. https://nifa.usda.gov/policy-guide CERTIFICATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS Certifications and representations provided through the NIFA application process. https://nifa.usda.gov/certifications-and-representations ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF USDA SUPPORT BY NIFA When acknowledging USDA support in accordance with 2 CFR Part 415, grantees must use the following acknowledgement for all projects or initiatives supported by NIFA. https://nifa.usda.gov/acknowledgment-usda-support-nifa FEDERAL REGULATIONS The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) lists all regulations published in the Federal Register. https://nifa.usda.gov/federal-regulations FOIA The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has the right to request access to federal documents and information such as research data. https://nifa.usda.gov/foia NEPA POLICY AND GUIDANCE The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Policy and Guidance set the standard for identifying potential environmental impacts. https://nifa.usda.gov/nepa-policy-and-guidance OGFM ISSUED CORRESPONDENCE The Office of Grants and Financial Management occasionally issues correspondence to applicants, grantees, and/or the general public for informational or clarification purposes. https://nifa.usda.gov/ogfm-issued-correspondence RESEARCH MISCONDUCT NIFA requires that all its awardees adhere to the USDA Scientific Integrity Policy and the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct. https://nifa.usda.gov/research-misconduct NIFA'S GENERAL AWARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS Award terms and conditions are determined by statutory, regulatory, and agency requirements, as well as each grant's circumstances. Terms and conditions dictate important items related to your grant, including method of payment, reporting frequency and content, and prior approval requirements. References to the terms and conditions of awards are located on the NIFA 2009 Award Fact Sheet. NIFA's general award terms and conditions (see link below) is applicable to this program, for awards with an award date on December 26, 2014 and thereafter. https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-general-terms-and-conditions-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-october-2016. Fiscal Year 2016 1) Promoting Student Success through Experiential Learning in Environmental Science The project promotes student participation, learning and success by providing engaging and relevant experiential learning activities across Aaniiih Nakoda College's Integrated Environmental Science (IES) curriculum. 2) Experiential Learning at Blackfeet Community College The Goal of this four-year project is to incorporate student experiential/nature-based learning across all curriculum's at Blackfeet Community College to increase student retention by 30 percent by the end of this program. 3) Native Food Pathways: An Ojibwa Approach to Food Science The College seeks to expand offerings within the environmental science program to include food science. Topics will include organic gardening, fruit production, maple syrup and honey production. 4) Education in Sustainability The main goal of the project is to give students, faculty and staff the tools needed to increase environmental sustainability on campus. Capacity in sustainability will be built through experiential learning experiences for students and professional development for faculty and staff. The impact of this project will be campus wide, as even students who aren't participating in sustainability initiatives benefit from this work. Haskell will save money on energy, water, and waste disposal and those resources can be directed elsewhere. 5) Revised Curricula in Agriculture and Initiation of Foods and Nutrition Programs for Health and Wellness Project provides a rodeo program which involves about 150 students each year. The project also provides an equine assisted learning program. (1) Promoting Student Success through Experiential Learning in Environmental Science The project promotes student participation, learning and success by providing engaging and relevant experiential learning activities across Aaniiih Nakoda College's Integrated Environmental Science (IES) curriculum. (2) Experiential Learning at Blackfeet Community College The Goal of this four-year project is to incorporate student experiential/nature-based learning across all curriculums at Blackfeet Community College to increase student retention by 30 percent (30%) by the end of this program. (3) Native Food Pathways: An Ojibwa Approach to Food Science The College seeks to expand offerings within the environmental science program to include food science. Topics will include organic gardening, fruit production, maple syrup and honey production. (4) Education in Sustainability The main goal of the project is to give students, faculty and staff the tools needed to increase environmental sustainability on campus. Capacity in sustainability will be built through experiential learning experiences for students and professional development for faculty and staff. The impact of this project will be campus wide, as even students who aren't participating in sustainability initiatives benefit from this work. Haskell will save money on energy, water, and waste disposal and those resources can be directed elsewhere. (5) Revised Curricula in Agriculture and Initiation of Foods and Nutrition Programs for Health and Wellness Project provides a rodeo program which involves about 150 students each year. The project also provides an equine assisted learning program.
Fiscal Year 2017 1. Bay Mills Academics and Agricultural Initiative The Equity grant funded 13 student retention workshops attended by 270 students. These workshops, held at the Bay Mills Student Success Center, provided tutors in math, science and computer programming for free and 135 students rely on these services. In addition the college’s demonstration farm partnered with the USDA’s Soil Conservation Service for an annual Education on the Farm event for 77 participants. In addition, Waishkey Bay Farm hosed six sustainable agriculture workshops attended by 213 participants. 2. Diné STEM-EQUITY Project This project is designed to improve reservation math education from Kindergarten to high school. A total of 520 teachers and students benefitted from this project, including 54 math teachers who attended professional development workshops and 67 students who participated in a summer math camp and the Great Salt Lake Math Immersion Camp. In addition, the colleges’ STEM festival had 17 secondary schools participating with 360 teachers and students joining the event. 3. SCC Native in Future America (NIFA) Project The Equity grant at Stone Child College provides funding for tuition and stipends for students attending college. All students receive extensive mentoring to ensure they succeed. Of the students 14 students who participated in the scholarship program five were majoring in natural resources, three in math, two in pre-engineering, two in applied science and two in computer science. Of the eight students receiving stipends five were majoring in natural resources, two were in pre-engineering and one in mathematics. 4. NWIC’s Program to Create and Implement a Training Program for Our STEM Faculty and Tutors This program provides professional training to math teachers for the college’s faculty and staff to increase the number of students on campus with enhanced knowledge and competence in mathematics. Faculty observe that some of the 160 students who participated are saying that mathematics actually makes more sense to them because of the new teaching methods. 5. Creation of a Wildlife Biology Degree Program at the Salish Kootenai College The Equity funding supports improvement for courses in GIS technology, hydrology and forest management. In addition, nine new courses were added including laboratory classes in ornithology, entomology and ichthyology. A total of 95 students benefited from this grants because new and improved courses became available to them at the college.
Fiscal Year 2018 1. Advancing and Supporting Indigenous Perspectives of Sustainability at Home and Beyond The Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) has been a part of the College of Menominee Nation since inception in the early 90’s. Early SDI work included support for faculty development and guiding the development of a research agenda based on the Menominee Theoretical Model of Sustainability (MTMS). This proposal builds on that history and recent work through the following three goals: 1) Provide a deeper understanding of the MTMS and its application in different spheres of influence (education, research, and outreach) as a means to engage faculty and students on topics of sustainable development, sustainable forestry, and human-environmental relationships; 2) develop regional, national and international relationships for engagement opportunities between CMN faculty and students with other Indigenous peoples and institutions; and 3) develop a Program Evaluation for proposed faculty and student development activities that align with CMN Program Review processes and SDI stakeholder Engagement Plan. We believe these activities will assist our CMN Faculty in their engagement with students, developing deeper connections to Indigenous knowledge through professional development and course delivery and help CMN SDI advance understanding of the MTMS. We seek to share what we learn locally, regionally, nationally and internationally through existing and developing partnerships, as an opportunity for faculty and students to learn about other Indigenous models of sustainability as part of their curricular work and future endeavors. 2. Little Priest Tribal College Extension: Strengthening Communities through Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources Education Food, agriculture, natural resources, and health are topics that have been a focus for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska in recent years. As a result of food security, health, and wellness initiatives on the Winnebago Indian Reservation, there is an opportunity and a need to create a formal, culturally relevant, undergraduate curriculum in agriculture, health, and natural resources at Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC) that will complement the community education curriculum to be implemented through the Tribal Colleges Extension Program. LPTC, a fully accredited, tribally controlled institution of higher education affiliated with the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, proposes the Growing Resources in Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, 2018-2022 project. We are requesting Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants (TCEG) program funding to develop and deliver the educational programming described above to LPTC students, residents of the Winnebago Indian reservation, and surrounding communities in northeastern Nebraska. Emphasis will be placed on attaining four specific objectives designed to meet the project goal described above: 1. Expanding current Indigenous Science course offerings to meet student and community needs, increasing student enrollment in Indigenous Science; 2. Developing sustainable, culturally relevant, science-based curriculum in agriculture, health, and natural resources, increasing student retention in the Indigenous Science program; 3. Incorporating experiential learning opportunities for students enrolled in the Indigenous Science program; 4. Offering professional development opportunities for LPTC faculty and staff that focuses on cultural sensitivity and effectively incorporating culture into the curriculum. 3. Creating Resiliency in Campus Sustainability Efforts In the last funding cycle, Haskell focused on increasing sustainability on campus by establishing a Sustainability Office. The main focus of the office was to manage initiatives that provided experiential learning opportunities for students in sustainability. Specifically, students participated in expanding the recycling program; low maintenance landscape design and implementation for the main part of campus; planting, maintaining, and collecting data in the campus vegetable research garden; development of a campus Tree Inventory; cataloging of the Haskell Herbarium; energy use monitoring; and gathering data for assessment of activities campus-wide. The grant also provided a mechanism for faculty development and curriculum development in sustainability. The particular sustainability programs undertaken under the last funding cycle were chosen after consultation with stakeholders (Haskell administration, faculty, staff, and students) but prioritization of those programs was chosen by Equity grant staff. Paid student workers and volunteers worked on those programs under the direction of the Equity grant PD and the Sustainability Director. In the new grant cycle, Haskell will flip that paradigm and focus our efforts on developing student leaders who will drive our sustainability programs forward. Students will develop planning and leadership skills as they work on sustainability initiatives of their own design, within broad food, agricultural, natural resources, and human science topics at Haskell Indian Nations University. Just as important, we will help our student leaders train students coming up behind them to take over their programs after they graduate. We believe this will ultimately improve the resiliency of our sustainability programs. 4. Promoting Agriculture Capacity and Equity in Crow Country The Crow Reservation encompasses 2.3 million acres in southeast Montana, and it is the largest reservation in Montana, 6th largest in the United States. The abundance of natural resources on the Reservation creates an atmosphere for opportunity. Like all towns in Montana, agriculture dominates the industry, and majority of Crow Tribal Lands are used for just that—Agriculture. Although Crow tribal lands are owned by the Crow Tribe and Crow Tribal members, they are not the ones reaping the benefits of their lands. Majority of Crow Tribal lands are leased by non-Indians. It is ironic that the number one industry in Big Horn County is Agriculture, yet the Crow Reservation has an unemployment rate of 18.1 percent and a poverty rate of 31.5 percent. Considering the Crow Reservation makes up 72% percent of the land base in Big Horn County, is it very concerning why poverty and employment rates are high on the reservation, when the agricultural market on tribal lands is successful. Little Big Horn College sits at the hub of Crow Agency, the capital for the Crow Reservation. The primary goal of the program titled, “Promoting Agriculture Capacity and Equity in Crow Country,” is to offer students and community members a curriculum—a custom made education program inclusive of Crow Culture and Indian Land Policies—that will increase their local agricultural knowledge base, ultimately in effort to help alleviate the disproportionate number of Crow Indian agricultural operators in the community. 5. TMCC Equity Program Project The Natural Resources Management program will be interdisciplinary in construct and as such, will integrate existing TMCC courses with online courses from other academic institutions, and as necessary support courses to supplement the NRM program and sciences. The concept of “interdisciplinary” in natural resources management will focus on three aspects: 1. People respecting people in communion with an understanding of environmental dynamics; 2. Discernment of the respectful utilizing of natural resources for their highest and best use for society without denigrating the integrity of the natural resources in question; 3. Sustainable management and respect of natural resources for the complexity of ecosystem services rendered. This project will support the expansion of existing efforts through new program development, while increasing opportunities through the development of ag disciplines. Objective 1: Offer a Natural Resource 2-year program and to improve and support the biological sciences. Objective 3: To develop and support Anishinabe Learning Center goals and activities. Objective 3: To encourage research activities involving faculties and students in the land grant language. The project outcome will result in 10 students enrolling in the Natural Resource Management Program. A minimum of three workshops supporting or relating to the ag-related disciplines with at least 30 total participants.
Fiscal Year 2019 FY 2019 is in a four year continuation and the same projects were funded in FY 2018.
Fiscal Year 2020 FY 2020 is the third year of a continuation cycle and the same projects are funded as in FY 2019.
Fiscal Year 2023 Pertinent details will be provided by program at a future date.