Native American Heritage Month

Nov | 2023

November is National Native American Heritage Month, which is observed through many special events presented by the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and other Federal agencies and national organizations. It’s a time to learn about the cultural values and knowledge of indigenous people and to recognize their contributions to society.

The NSF is another agency that recognizes the importance of Native American engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math. We at STELAR are happy to share ITEST projects that have developed innovative STEM educational experiences with Indigenous populations, inspiring their youth to pursue future STEM careers.

Check out some of our resources related to Indigenous cultures created and used by ITEST projects, including projects, instruments, publications, and curriculum.

Resources

Preparing Responsive Educators using Place-based Authentic Research in Earth Systems (PREPARES)

(Curricular Materials)

Preparing Responsive Educators using Place-based Authentic Research in Earth Systems (PREPARES) seeks to expand, implement, and conduct research on a framework for providing indigenous students with the skills and knowledge needed for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

Indigenous Environmental Science 101 (with Drones)

(Curricular Materials)

This course is designed for students enrolled in the Bridge Idaho Upward Bound program. During a 2-week stay at the McCall Outdoor Science School, students will explore basic environmental science topics through the lens of local and traditional knowledge and the use of remote sensing technology. Students will learn about the use of UAVs to work on local socio-ecological issues and design and conduct student-led projects that explore the application of the technology to issues of interest to them and to their community.

STELAR Webinar - Developing the Next Generation of Talent: Perspectives from the Field on Equity and the Future of Work

(Event)

On June 30^th STELAR introduced an informative report that extends prior reports on the Future of Work to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in light of recent historical events.

Indigenous Mapping: Culturally Relevant, Technology-Enhanced Teaching Strategies for Indigenous Learners and the Public Good

(Instruments)

An instrument for teachers to develop formative assessment.

Voices to Hear (V2H): Native American Youth Learning About Environmental Sciences, Related Careers and Engaging Their Communities through Podcasts

(Project Profile)

This project will use the oral tradition of storytelling to empower Native American students (middle school, high school and college) to engage in environmental decision-making and scientific communication, while building a stronger sense of their ethnic identity.

A Culturally-Relevant Computer Science Education Program to Expand Equity, Access, and Opportunity for Native American High School Students

(Project Profile)

The underrepresentation of Native Americans in STEM and computing deprives the nation of its potential for innovation and transformative solutions that can arise from a diverse STEM workforce. Studying the educational differences between Native American and non-Native American learners will increase the understanding of how to reduce inequity and improve educational and economic outcomes for Native American students, families, and communities.

Engaging Native American Students in STEM Career Development Through a Culturally-Responsive After-School Program Using Virtual Environments and 3-D Printing

(Project Profile)

The project will develop and research an after-school program that is designed to increase the STEM career interests and motivations of Native American middle-school students. Students will use digital technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D printing, to solve spatial design problems presented through the project’s culturally responsive, problem-based learning education modules.

Cultural Repertoires: Indigenous Youth Creating With Place and Story

(Publications)

In this paper, we present an example of culturally-responsive making in the context of developing location-based community stories. Working with members of an Indigenous community in the Southwestern United States, we co-designed and implemented a two-week summer camp in which middle school youth used Augmented Reality and Interactive Storytelling (ARIS), a narrative-based programming tool, to create virtual community tours for the purpose of sharing the information they learned about tribally owned locations with others.

Recent Highlights

Feb | 2024

Native American Heritage Month