RII-BEC: Transcending Barriers to Success in Economics for Underrepresented Students: Preparing COVID-Affected Students for Their Climate-Resilient Future

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). In Hawaii, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino communities, and on women. These four groups are also extremely underrepresented in the field of economics at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. At the same time, environmental challenges that are further exacerbated by climate change threaten these islands, wider Oceania, and coastal communities in Asia and the Americas. This project creates a new economics bridge between Kapiolani Community College (KCC) and the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) to prepare and transfer 100 students from these disproportionately COVID-affected groups into baccalaureate and graduate level economics degree programs. The project weaves indigenous and western knowledge systems and community engagement strategies to contextualize economics coursework to bridge associate, baccalaureate, and master's degree programs. Active learning, peer mentoring, engaged research, and internship opportunities will enhance the urgency and relevance of economics coursework so that students can embrace and ameliorate the challenges of biocultural restoration and climate resilience in their neighborhoods, communities, regions, and world. The project will promote the progress of science by connecting key concepts and practices from indigenous science with economics curricula, instruction, and research. Further, the project will serve the national interest by amplifying indigenous voices and values, promoting biodiversity conservation and mixed economy and community enterprise models that contribute to nutrition, health, well-being, climate resilience, income generation and prosperity for all American households. The project goal is to develop, implement and evaluate a bridge program in economics between KCC and UHM for 100 students from disproportionately COVID-affected groups as they and their communities transition from COVID-affected to climate-resilient and prosperous. The first project objective is to make indigenous and western knowledge system connections for redesigned curriculum and enhanced learning opportunities in first- and second-year economics courses at KCC and five BA and MA leading summer bridge courses at UHM. The Leadership Team will implement a 5-year faculty development program to create new curricular materials, instructional methods, and active learning opportunities, including service, research, and internships. Students in the summer bridge courses will conduct research on the grand challenges of biocultural restoration and climate change. This research can be further developed and advanced in third- and fourth-year and graduate courses. As this objective is met, the project will also develop student recruitment, mentoring, retention and learning strategies that will help these students gain a strong sense of belonging in college, becoming an economics major and a growing sense of reciprocity and responsibility in community and careers. The project will build authentic, durable intra- and inter-campus and campus-community partnerships that increase student well-being and program health, and close indigenous and female degree completion gaps in economics. The project has six deliverables: 1) a KCC-UHM Transfer and Articulation Agreement; 2) an eight course sequence in economics (with course syllabi) across 2-year, 4-year and graduate programs; 3) a handbook on community-based active learning opportunities for underrepresented students; 4) a handbook on integrating and advancing research in urban and regional planning, sustainability and resilience, and economic futures; 5) an "Indigenizing Economics" concept paper, and 6) a network improvement communications plan for climate resilience and economic prosperity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.