- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Program Includes Support to Promote Academic and Career Success
DENVER — The American Indian College Fund received a four-year $300,000 grant from the Clare Boothe Luce Program at the Henry Luce Foundation to help increase the number of Native American women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields by earning a college degree.
Native American women have the lowest representation in the STEM fields.
With the grant award, the American Indian College Fund will award $75,000 to four outstanding AIAN women seeking a bachelor’s degree in the hard sciences at four-year granting tribal colleges and universities. Students will receive $18,750 disbursed per year, based on the average cost of attendance at a four-year tribal college or university.
“Indigenous people possess great science, mathematical, and engineering knowledge and have been remarkably adaptive to technologies. Supporting Indigenous women, who have been underrepresented in STEM fields, as they pursue STEM degrees, honors that knowledge and helps us to contribute to modern society,” said Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund.
The American Indian College Fund’s 2014-2018 Clare Boothe Luce Women’s STEM Tribal College Scholarship Program was one of its most successful to date. The program provided scholarships and wraparound services to participating students, ensuring a graduation rate of 100 percent.
Eligible students must be enrolled during the 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24 academic years and studying in qualifying hard science majors at a four-year degree-granting tribal colleges and universities (areas of study include but are not limited to computer science, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, and hydrology). Preference will be given to students studying in fields in which American Indians and Alaska Natives are most underrepresented.
In addition to the scholarship award, the program will also provide AIAN women scholars with programs to support their retention, graduation, and career readiness. These programs include internships, mentorships, career readiness programs,
Students can apply online for the scholarship at www.collegefund.org/scholarships. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2020.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Kicks Off Year Two of Trail Crew Program
MMDR Task Force Urges Action to Support Dominique “Molly” Nez’s Family
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
