Fitting College to Students (not Vice Versa): A Certificate Program on Environmental Stewardship of Indigenous Lands

Colleges and universities are creating programs to expand Indigenous student participation. This study reports the backgrounds, experiences, and outcomes of students participating in one such program at the University of Colorado Denver, called Environmental Stewardship of Indigenous Lands (ESIL), that off ers an academically transcripted certifi cate. Applying the principles of Collec- tive Impact, the goal of ESIL is to develop a Community of Practice including Indigenous community representatives, faculty, students, and alumni. This community works to deliver a culturally responsive academic certifi cate program that combines coursework, workshops, internships, and mentoring. Using evaluation data comprising journey mapping, student surveys, and alumni interviews, we identify seven factors that bring students into the program, three key aspects of their experience within the program, and show that the ESIL program has changed knowledge and attitudes by 50 2025: VOLUME 13 ISSUE 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Fitting College to Students (not Vice Versa): A Certifi cate Program on Environmental Stewardship of Indigenous Lands providing a safe space for students to engage in Indigenous worldviews within the context of their own academic experiences. These elements advance a positive expansion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Key words: Indigenous. Native American. Journey Mapping. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT