A spring 2006 survey of northern California tribes revealed that tribal communities experience considerable difficulty filling positions that require intermediate to advanced computer science/computing information science/information technology training. A greater challenge yet? Recruiting American Indians with the requisite skills and experience to those same positions. Humboldt State’s Coalition for American Indians in Computing is making steps to help bridge the high tech gap.
The new Humboldt State program is designed to introduce American Indian high school and community college students to the fields of computing science and information technology. The Coalition program selects up to 30 students to participate in a three-week summer program that includes career counseling, academic advising, and trips to Indian Country to see how Tribes use technology to manage enterprises, fisheries, forests, health care, and other government organizations, as well as to preserve Native languages and culture.
The Coalition’s primary aim is to develop leadership potential and career opportunities in high tech fields for American Indian students. Last winter, the National Science Foundation endorsed that goal when it awarded Humboldt State’s Computing Science Department a three-year, $610,917 grant to finance the Coalition project.
Individuals from across campus and within the local community collaborated on the Coalition proposal, including faculty in HSU’s Computing Science Department, the Center for Indian Community Development, the Indian Natural Resource, Science and Engineering Program, and the Indian Teacher and Educational Personnel Program. The effort also included several Northern California American Indian tribal partners.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
This past summer the program conducted its first summer camp. Twenty five students came to Humboldt State to participate. While the majority of students came from local areas such as Covelo, Crescent City, Hoopa and Orleans, a few traveled from as far away as Seattle, Washington and Copper Center, Alaska. Students self-reported the following tribal affiliations: Yuki, Yurok, Pit River, Kashia, Pomo, Wiyot, Yakima, Wintu, Wailaki, Navajo, Hupa, Tolowa, Athabaskan, Karuk.
The summer camp consisted of five tracks: academic, cultural, college preparation, wellness and social. The program also included field trips to Weitchpec, to the Rohnerville Band of the Bear River Tribe, to the United Indian Health Service (Potawot) and to the 7th Generation Project in Patrick's Point State Park.
Of the students who graduated from the program, five enrolled in Humboldt State for the fall semester, two more are working toward Spring 2008 admission as transfer students; another two are considering admission for Fall 2008; and a number of younger students are now discussing with their families the possibility of attending college.
Dr. Jacquelyn Bolman, director of Humboldt State’s Indian Natural Resource, Science and Engineering Program, is pleased with the results of the Coalition’s first summer program.
“The Coalition is generating a greater level of interest and importance for what computer science and computer information systems can mean for tribes. The program is also creating an avenue for this university to provide a resource to our local constituency. I definitely see it as a success. I want to applaud Dr. Ann Burroughs and Dr. Guy-Alain Amoussou for taking the risk and writing the proposal, and partnering with ITEPP, INRSEP and Center for Indian Community Development to create a program like this. I think everyone’s on board to make this program even better.”
The Coalition for American Indians in Computing is now accepting applications for its Summer (July) 2008 camp. The program will enable students to explore computing fields such as GIS, programming and Photoshop. The camp is open to both high school students entering the 11th and 12th grades, and to high school graduates, TCCC and community college students.
The application deadline is March 1, 2008. Application forms can be dowloaded at www.humboldt.edu/~caic or obtained by calling (707) 826-3338. The Coalition program is free of charge. Room, board and transportation are provided.
Photo Credit: Fernando de Sousa, Creative Commons License.