Partnering with a Native American Community in a Collaboration between a Tribal College and Two Mainstream Universities

Abstract

We present community outcomes in our unique pre-engineering program, along with lessons learned when a tribal college and community partners collaborate with two mainstream universities in experiential learning on a Native American reservation in the United States. We share our expertise so that others may apply elsewhere what we have learned. We provide guidance through sharing our successes, best practices, challenges, case studies, and hopes for the future. We recognize that every reservation is unique, and what works for one may not work for others. Community outcomes include significant capacity building where partners assemble evidence-based research that strengthens the tribal college and tribal government, allowing them to better manage resources. The OSSPEEC program includes undergraduate, graduate and faculty researchers in water resources, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geology, surveying, structures, and cross-disciplinary endeavors. Community partners include tribal governmental agencies, reservation-based interest groups, and non-profit organizations. The program is sustainable because the tribal college builds a variety of lasting partnerships offering mutual benefits.