NARCH XIII- Student Development

Program Summary-Overall Indian Health Council, Inc. (IHC) with California State University San Marcos, Palomar Community College, San Diego State University (SDSU) and University of California San Diego (UCSD), intends to build upon their already existing long-term research partnership in the proposed projects/studies in the NARCH XIII application. The aims of the CA-NARCH SDP include: 1) To engage high school students interested in American Indian/Alaska Native Health to increase their knowledge and their families knowledge of STEM, STEM degrees, and STEM career to increase matriculation into these areas; 2) Identify and recruit AI/AN students and students interested in AI/AN health in the biomedical and behavioral sciences from community college through graduate school into the CA-NARCH SDP program; 3) Retain AI/AN students and students interested in AI/AN health in their respective higher education programs and develop and enhance their knowledge, skills, science-self efficacy, and persistence to succeed in STEM programs to successfully matriculate into graduate programs; 4) Engage and provide training for AI/AN students and students interested in AI/AN health in biomedical and health research to increase their competitiveness for jobs/graduate school and their likelihood of becoming health/science researchers; 5) Increase the cultural interface and competencies of the CA-NARCH students and encourage AI/AN community engagement and trust in research. Centered at IHC, the CA-NARCH SDP has established infrastructure with a SDP team, including a full-time native coordinator (Luiseño), and an established presence and leads on the 4 surrounding campuses. Students are recruited from the 4 campuses, AI/AN organizations, local communities, All Tribes American Indian Charter School, and other organizations. Retention methods are multiple and include engaging students in research through the existing NIH and NSF funded programs. The CA-NARCH Directed Research (CANDR) program with campus and community based research is a summer and/or a yearlong research program. Students will receive continual mentorship from the CA NARCH SDP team, a peer mentor program that supports high school students. Students will work with their mentor to create individual development plans and will receive socio-cultural support. Lastly, the Administrative Core will function as administrative support for the student project and individual research studies by providing ethical research training, providing/dispersing information on resources and mentoring opportunities, and guidance in evaluation planning.