Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this project supports native…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this project supports native american pre-college and college students attending oregon stateuniversity (OSU) and southwestern oregon community college (SWOCC) in experientiallearning, internships, and financial support directly relevant to the stated funding priority of thenew beginning for tribal students grant - to increase student retention, graduation and workforcesuccess rates for native american students.primary project objectives:1. Strengthening the formal relationships between colleges and tribes through collaborativedevelopment of MOU's, and CO-designed student engagement protocols informed by tribal goalsand decolonizing methodology;2. Outreach education to pre-college native youth to improve access and understanding ofsteps toward college entry, tuition, and cultural support resources on campus; AND3. Placement of native college students in culturally-informed, mentored, paid internships withemployers in forestry and natural resources.supporting project elements include contracting of program coordinators, integration of ecampusfor remote access, regular convening of a steering committee, scholarships, and participatory, culturally-responsive annual and ongoing program evaluation throughout the project period.OSU will work with primary CGI partner SWOCC in this integrated education and extensionproject. Both schools have established working relationships with all (OSU) or some (SWOCC) ofthe nine federally recognized tribes in the state of oregon. While the project provides specificoutreach and collaboration efforts focused on the confederated tribes of coos, lower umpqua, and siuslaw indians, any student identifying as native american will potentially be eligible forproject engagement.