(Missoula)- Positive change is coming to the University of Montana.
Programs that support the success of Montana’s Native American populations through STEM and higher education have received a $250,000 dollar gift from the Cognizant Foundation. The gift ensures the continued growth and sustainability of the Montana American Indians in Math and Science program. The program provides early exposure to STEM fields for Native middle and high school students and supports student’s transition to higher education. The Cognizant foundation support will also help UM launch the indigenous First Year Experience program. That program will connect first year Native American students with crucial resources to ensure a successful year.
Aaron Thomas, a UM associate professor of chemistry and director of Indigenous Research and STEM education said, “These initiatives address the fact that Native American students face barriers to higher education and that Native American students are far less likely than their non- Native peers to major in a Stem field.”
