The first year for a student at a university may be the most difficult, the highest dropout rate occurs during the first year at the college level. By exposing high school students to the university system and campus, they will have a better opportunity to achieve higher academic excellence. The AIR program seeks to give those American Indian high school students an opportunity to succeed at the university level through early preparation before attending a university.

Alternatively, the AIR program was created to address the lack of American Indian participation within higher education. Noting this, the American Indian falls far behind in a majority of statistics. According to the American Indian Digest: Facts About Today's American Indians 1995 Edition, only 52% of American high school students graduate from high school. Of that 52% only 17% attend college and of that 17% only 4% graduate from college. The digest also states, "75% of the workforce earn less than $7,000 per year." Although Indians have gained ground in many areas they still remain behind the rest of American society. The AIR Program firmly believes in our mission statement and hopes to bring greater successes to those who our disadvantaged within our community.

The AIR Research Program

AIR Student Information

AIR Mentor Information