Since the first tribal college was established in the late 1960s, tribal colleges and universities have offered technical-learning opportunities to students in isolated communities around the country. From the onset, many of these colleges focused on providing practical skills and vocational job training, and frequently targeted nontraditional, older students seeking two-year degrees or professional certificates. Along these lines, tribal colleges have begun developing more programs and degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math, a range of disciplines collectively known as STEM. The emerging science programs provide opportunities to integrate research methods, computer applications, and technology with cultural knowledge and traditional practices. The approach draws in students and then leads them to local research projects. Teachers at tribal colleges are increasingly enlisting students to participate in place-based science studies on reservations, enabling them to connect their tribes' traditional histories with their personal futures. This educational and cultural cross-pollination also helps attract students who recognize that STEM degrees can lead to promising careers around the world and on the reservations, where tribes need their own skilled staff of engineers, environmental scientists, technicians, and teachers.