Training the Next Generation to Help All Students Succeed
To achieve our aim of training new scientists from all backgrounds, NSF CBIKS provides research assistantship and internship opportunities for all regional hubs. (Photo: students in Alaska learn about the Rhodiola rosea plant)
Education and knowledge exchange activities include:
- Developing formal STEM education materials, including college-level Indigenous knowledge bundles and an Indigenous science course for K–12 teachers
- Developing informal science education activities, including Indigenous science museum exhibits and Indigenous science STEM camps and after-school programs
- Sharing what we learn using Indigenous teaching methods, such as training for museum and government agency staff utilizing storywork and accessible arts-based formats
“We can learn many things with and from Indigenous peoples that can help all communities to be resilient.”
— Bonnie Dawn Newsom, CBIKS PI and Northeast Hub Co-Lead
Resilience and Sustainability
Top scientists, engineers, agricultural experts, and policymakers increasingly recognize the importance of Indigenous knowledge systems in making robust decisions about environmental resilience and in natural and cultural resource planning and management. Yet, Indigenous and Western sciences are based on very different knowledge systems, with differing practices through the stages of research.
With an emphasis on mentoring and training scientists in braiding methodologies, NSF CBIKS provides models, practices, methods, and ethical guidelines for braiding Indigenous knowledge and science together with current science practices. The outcomes include resilient strategies that are useful to all communities in the areas of environmental variability, food security, and connection to historical places.
