About Us
MESCIT operates at the interface of education and workforce development, providing UArizona students with the skills, experience and confidence to be future teachers and mentors, while also advancing math education and math identity among Native American students. MESCIT is critical to the realization of the UArizona Strategic Plan, which embraces its original mission as a Land Grant Institution to serve the unique needs of the diverse population of Arizona.
The goals of MESCIT are to:
Advance mathematical literacy and confidence among Native American students. Math proficiency is critical for high school graduation, continuing to higher education, and pursuing STEM-related careers. Native Americans and Alaska Natives are significantly underrepresented in STEM fields (NSF Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E 2017 report). We aim to support high school students to develop a Math and STEM Identity that celebrates their identity as Native American Scholars.
Train UArizona undergraduate students to be future teachers and leaders in STEM. We aim to accomplish this by
Improving UArizona students’ STEM identity and confidence in order to advance retention and persistence of STEM majors
Helping UArizona students understand the barriers facing young scholars at under-served institutions and understand the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM broadly.
MESCIT was founded in 2017 by Dr. Irene Shivaei and Dr. Gurtina Besla in the department of astronomy and Steward observatory.
The Impact of MESCIT
Tutoring Sessions
Our primary activities involve tutoring students in hour-long 1-on-1 or sessions. Sessions are offered at our partner schools at no cost to the students. We strive to meet the students at their current academic level and create a welcoming and inclusive environment . In addition to assisting with homework assignments and challenging concepts, we encourage our tutors to establish connections with their students, serving as a valuable resource for general academic advice and fostering accountability.
Students that have participated in MESCIT have reported marked improvements in their confidence in their understanding of mathematics. We typically measure this by gauging students' confidence in a given topic, as well as their general mood, before and after each session. MESCIT has helped students tangibly improve their mathematical literacy, and self confidence.
Campus Visits
In collaboration with UArizona's Native American Student Affairs (NASA) organization, MESCIT hosts a campus visit once a semester for MESCIT tutees. The purpose of these visits is to help students visualize themselves pursuing a degree in STEM, and to provide them with resources to prepare for college. Past visits have included presentations from groups like the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the Native American Science and Engineering Program (NASEP). Students also have the opportunity to interact with members of the campus research community that identify as Native American
Overall, feedback received from these visits has been positive, with students voicing an increased interest in pursuing higher education and in joining Native American-focused groups like AISES and NASEP. We plan to continue these visits as we expand the program, to give more students access to these resources and experiences.
MESCIT student tutees attending a demo conducted by Micah Mann, a Native American UArizona graduate student in Dr. Meredith Kupinski's research lab in the College of Optics
AISES student representatives talking to MESCIT students who attended the April 21st 2023 UArizona campus visit
Training future leaders in STEM
As stated above, one of our goals are to train current undergraduate students to be better teachers and leaders. Our tutors come from a diverse set of STEM majors across campus, from physics and astronomy, to biology and engineering. We support our tutors via weekly meetings with the leadership team to discuss challenges and successes they might be facing, and to allow for more senior tutors to offer advice based on their experiences.
In terms of training, new tutors are required to take Math 196A during their first semester with us. This course addresses a wide range of issues in math education, including how to build student confidence using manipulable algebra tiles, and how to utilize more engaging forms of practice, such as number games. In addition to these activities, the course emphasizes the importance of communicating constructive feedback to students and establishing growth mindsets. Our tutors report these practices allow them to be prepared to interact and support the students at our partner schools.
In addition, the MESCIT team participates in a training program to help educators understand the importance of cultural responsiveness when working with Native American scholars. The objectives of the training are:
To know why culturally responsive instruction is beneficial for Native American students.
To know what culturally responsive instruction is, wherein educators relate respectfully and learn from the culture of their students.
To know how teachers use culturally responsive instruction to enhance the learning of Native American students.
To apply a process for developing culturally responsive instructional methods.
Tutors consistently report high satisfactory with the program, and we frequently have tutors return for multiple years of service. Head to Tutor Spotlights for a more detailed look into the experiences our tutors have had with MESCIT! If you are an undergraduate student interested in becoming part of the team, please head to Tutor Application Info for how to apply!
MESCIT Spring 2023 Tutors outside Pueblo High, one of our partner schools