In 2022, the Aseto’ne Network Project took part in the SACNAS conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The AIHEC Aseto’ne Network Project is a broad, multi-institutional initiative to coordinate outreach, educational enrichment, mentoring, and personal development activities carried out at the nation’s tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). The National Institutes of Health awarded AIHEC a five-year grant that will conclude in March of 2024.

The goals of this project include promoting student interest and engagement in health and biomedical research; building on health-focused programs and initiatives which the TCUs currently offer or are involved with; establishing a network of professional researchers, faculty, and students involved in activities that develop and support student academic and research-specific skills and interests; and inspiring students to pursue a career as health sciences researchers. TCU faculty and students are provided with funding opportunities to attend national conferences focusing on minority representation in STEM.

Some of the accomplishments that the Aseto’ne Network Project achieved to reach these goals include the Aseto’ne Digital Library, which has over 100 instructional videos viewed by 54 TCU faculty, impacting 19 TCU courses and 365 TCU students; the expansion of Aseto’ne’s outreach network, contacting 31,000 annually; an entirely online mentoring program that mentors students participating in the Aseto’ne Virtual Institute, including 25 peer mentors and 38 faculty mentors serving 170 students; the Aseto’ne Virtual Institute, which served 170 students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; and national conference travel for 28 students.

While the Aseto’ne Network Project had to overcome some challenges and delays, including building trust in TCU communities and unforeseen partnership experiences, the most significant obstacle was the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Aseto’ne Network Project had to convert from an in-person institute to a virtual experience in a matter of months. At the same time, TCU students and faculty faced significant pressure to transition from traditional academic experiences to completely online education while coping with the realities of a global pandemic. Increased mental load, illness, and personal losses within their families and communities were challenges for many students. These significant impacts required TCU students to develop new skills for online programming and the resilience to juggle academic and personal demands while at home, often in multigenerational households.

As the Aseto’ne Network Project moves forward in its final grant year, project leaders are looking to record 20 webinars, produce four short courses and 11 modules, send 10 students to regional or national health science and research conferences, recruit 30 TCU students to enroll in the Aseto’ne Virtual Institute, and contract eight Indigenous mentors to serve students in the Aseto’ne Virtual Institute.

The Aseto’ne Network Project is dedicated to nurturing an appreciation of health-related research among TCU students and supporting each student’s educational and career journey. In doing so, the Aseto’ne Network Project is a steppingstone for TCU students on the pathway to address the critical health and wellness issues confronting Native communities.