STEM Outreach to American Indian/Alaska Natives

STEM Pathways for Indigenous Youth

STEM Outreach to American Indian/Alaska Native Youth

Since 2020, SAME has conducted research into how best to engage American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth in STEM activities. Begun as a project for the SAME Leadership Development program, the effort expanded with funding from the United Engineering Foundation and the SAME Foundation from a theoretical exploration to a series of outreach events across the United States.

STEM Pathways for Indigenous Youth

“We must go to them.” That was the message we heard loud and clear when discussing STEM outreach to AI/AN communities with Leader Development Program participants (LDP) TJ Fakler, Colleen Rust, and Kevin Remley, as part of the LDP project component. “We must go to their communities to engage them. That means bringing them the camps, science fairs, scholarships, job trainings, and other resources that can help put AI/AN youth on a path to a STEM degree after high school.”

Underwritten by the SAME Foundation, LDP identifies and cultivates talent from within the SAME membership. A valuable component of the program is to identify and address a need within the Society or the A/E/C industry. Participants chose projects important to them. For TJ, Colleen, and Kevin, that meant bringing attention to the STEM outreach needs of AI/AN communities.

STEM Pathways flyer

This flyer contains a short overview of tips along with additional resources. It can be printed as a 1-page (front and back) resource.

Cultural Awareness Panel video. On March 30-31, 2022, panelists from different backgrounds and tribes including Meskwaki/Dine, Oglala Lakota Sioux, Shoshone-Bannock, Mvskoke Creek, Anishinaabe/Shawnee, Mentasta, Chocktaw/Chickasaw, and Eastern Band Cherokee met to discuss questions and issues submitted to them. Questions included “How would you approach a Tribe or Tribal representative for the first time? Who are good partners for STEM outreach? Advice included the need to speak humbly and listen more than you speak.

This project, and the UEF grant is the direct result of the initial investment of the SAME Foundation in the LDP.

Background

My Mother is a very Traditional Native Woman and did a WONDERFUL job teaching me to PAY ATTENTION to OUR ENVIRONMENT, from the LIFE OF A TREE to how we RESPECT OUR MOTHER EARTH. It’s Our CULTURE and BLOOD to be INVOLVED IN STEM, as it’s everything that surrounds us.
Shawna Newman Chocktaw/Chickasaw, President, The NDN Companies, Inc.

STEM engagement can serve as a key intervention in the academic trajectory of AI/AN youth. STEM engagement offers hands-on activities that build necessary skills. Coupled with mentoring and awareness of STEM careers, STEM engagement can ensure AI/AN youth know where to go after graduation. Those among the AI/AN population that choose to pursue STEM education opportunities stand a higher chance of succeeding economically, allowing them the ability to return and help improve conditions within their native communities.

SAME has a unique opportunity to create a national toolkit for STEM engagement that is modular and customizable to meet the needs of different communities. Such a strategy can lead to an increase in the meaningful STEM engagement by SAME’s 102 Posts with the over 500 federally-recognized tribes.

Key Takeaways

Don’t come in with a set answer. Start with a community dialogue where you listen more than you speak. Native communities may already have recognized STEM efforts that you can join. The purpose is to build the support of local leaders and develop a plan most likely to impact the community.

During the community dialogue(s), participants will discuss existing initiatives/resources already available within the community, as well as within the local SAME Post, in order to integrate them into the outreach plan. It may be that the best option for one location/tribe is to support STEM programs that are already in place in the AI/AN community but would benefit from engineer involvement. In another location, the best option might be to set up a one-day STEM camp/fair for families in the community to reach the highest number of individuals and provide the biggest impact. Yet another location may decide to host a multi-day STEM camp.

Follow through! Don’t start something that you can’t complete.

Community Engagement Resources

Each site will be introduced to community engagement resources like:

For more information

To learn more about the project, contact Amy McGeever, STEM Outreach Coordinator.