Ugáǧabi Solutions

“We Create” solutions to inspire and elevate socioeconomic mobility

What is the problem that you are committed to solving?

I am committed to mitigating the diminishing academic proficiencies that are found on the Fort Peck Reservation by creating interest in STEM related careers and economic opportunities. Too many students on the reservation are entering high school academically unprepared and drop out due to inadequate instruction in subjects that include science and mathematics. The result of these issues inhibit socioeconomic mobility for students who might otherwise be able to pursue STEM careers if their needs were identified and addressed earlier in their academic careers.

What is the project you are proposing?

I am proposing to utilize software programs to identify and meet the academic needs of 1st - 7th grade students as well as to inspire them to pursue STEM careers. I plan to use the programs to collect data from the students in order to assess their academic proficiency. The software will not only identify academic needs but also provide the appropriate curriculum in order to meet any deficiencies.

Students will also have the opportunity to choose project based STEM trainings that will introduce them into fields that include robotics, programming, and engineering. Then instructors from the local schools, including the tribal college, will help the students to create an academic road map towards their field(s) of interest.

The project will culminate in a STEM related business plan competition. Judges will include representatives from the math and business departments at Fort Peck Community College, the Native American Business Assistance group at Great Northern Development Corporation, and venture capitalists from a technology business incubator in Utah. Prizes like hardware and/or software resources will be awarded in order to help the youth work towards fulfilling their business plans.

How will your project change your community?

A local educator observed that students who did not have a proper foundation established in science and math before their freshman year in high school had a higher probability of dropping out. My proposal includes the use of educational metrics that will enable my fellow team members to help students create both academic and economic road maps. Our hope is that these road maps will increase the resolve of students to pursue their career and/or entrepreneurial goals by helping them to understand the connection between education and their futures.

What is the biggest barrier to your project reaching more people?

A study called “Where is the Land of Opportunity” lists factors that inhibit socioeconomic mobility or the movement from one social class or economic level to another.  The study suggests that the most predictive factor of economic mobility is family structure. It found that children raised in communities that have high percentages of single mothers have a significantly less probability of moving from one economic level to another.

The reservation is full of single-mother families. These choices that are made by others affect many students on the reservation. These circumstances significantly affect socioeconomic mobility.

My proposal is to use computers and existing software to determine a student’s academic needs and then provide the appropriate curriculum to meet such needs. Another software program will provide STEM courses whose projects can be worked on individually and/or with other students.

The use of both programs will provide educators with valuable metrics that will help in identifying the correlations between each student and their positive outcomes. This can lead to a better knowledge of what STEM activities and curriculum are best suited for our area of Native America in addition to promoting entrepreneurship.

One positive change that I am seeking is for more family involvement during the education of the students. Southside Elementary School has an enrollment of over 100 students in their after school STEM programs with over a 90% retention rate. The principal reports that their students take their projects home to share with their family members.  This provides students with opportunities to teach by explaining to others how their projects work.

I am hoping that these positive interactions will result in increased family involvement during each student’s academic career which may lead to higher retention and graduation rates.

The necessary infrastructure is already in place by the Southside and Northside Elementary schools. Their programs are facilitated by both their administrators and teachers at no additional costs to parents and families. My goal is to increase accessibility to their programs through additional hardware and software resources as well as providing access to exceptional professionals with years of expertise in the fields of information technology, health information technology, economic development, and education. My team believes that we can contribute to the successes of leading the way for a better quality of life for students and families on the reservation.

Both Southside Elementary and Northside Elementary schools have already done an excellent job at creating an after school STEM program for their students. Southside school serves students up to the third grade and Northside to the seventh. I am not currently a part of either school’s activities but both principals have found value in my proposed project and have enthusiastically agreed to its implementation to their STEM projects if this fellowship is awarded. 

I am hoping that we can develop models that both assess how a student’s academic needs can be met and how they can be provided them with increased access to STEM opportunities. I am hoping that through this project that the needs of more students, including the gifted, can be met through the additional resources that this fellowship can provide.

I anticipate that student success stories will inspire others to get involved in these programs. When these interests are identified throughout the rest of the reservation communities then we will have the framework to implement additional STEM programs.

I am not currently involved with either Southside's or Northside's STEM activities. However the principal at Southside school reported a count of over 100 students in their STEM activities with over a 90% retention rate. She said she also noticed an increase in individual and group problem solving skills as well as student interest in programming and electrical engineering.

My goal is to offer my resources as well as add an entrepreneurial piece for the students.  

I am applying to Solve because I am an entrepreneur, aspiring social innovator, and lifelong learner seeking connections and opportunities to serve in Native America. In addition to potentially gaining valuable friends and resources, I believe this fellowship opportunity will help me to continue to work with on-reservation and off-reservation entities in identifying and implementing solutions to the areas of education, business, technology and economic development.

This fellowship opportunity will help me and my amazing network of friends and colleagues provide valuable resources to an under-served community that I both understand and love.

The principals at Southside and Northside Elementary Schools have accepted my offer to add value and resources to their existing STEM activities.

• Native American Business Assistance at Great Northern Development Corporation will help connect entrepreneurs with local resources.

• Faculty members from Fort Peck Community College’s business and math departments will help students in creating academic and career roadmaps for participants.

• The managing director at Atomic Ventures will offer industry insights to the project and its participants.

I plan to reach out to the following companies in the near future:

• Tech Trep Academy

• Imagine Learning

I use to sit on a nonprofit board with an individual that is involved in both companies. Their expertise and insights with online learning software, educational metrics, and STEM resources will be invaluable.

I have already received a commitment of support from Atomic Ventures in relation to the entrepreneurial piece of my proposed project.