Tag Archives: women

Weblog 3

Module 3 Weblog

https://indigenousworks.ca/en/resources/promising-practices/hydro-youth-program

This is an article about the fantastic program Manitoba Hydro has started to get young women interested in careers in STEM. Manitoba Hydro recognized that Aboriginal youth are an untapped resource. They formed a committee to understand and remove the systemic barriers Aboriginal people face in the job market. This particular recruitment initiative takes the form of week long summer camps for girls that introduces them to STEM. As the articles says, the ripple effect of this program is far reaching. Not only are these young women now interested in careers in STEM, it has also boosted their overall sense of confidence.

http://www.wisest.ualberta.ca/Programs/TalesfromtheScienceBuffalo

This program from the University of Alberta bill itself as “A series of interactive classroom presentations with engaging science activities that honour Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and introduce careers in the Sciences.” The presenters visit schools for 2 days and offer science “classes” that are linked to the Alberta curriculum and honour Aboriginal perspectives. This program comes from WISEST: Women in Scholarships, Engineering, Science and Technology, making the benefits twofold- seeing how Western science and Aboriginal ways of knowing can be linked, and having female role models for young Aboriginal youth.

http://www.animikii.com/home

Animikii is an Indigenous technology solutions company based in British Columbia. I have included this is my list because of the incredible partnerships and programs they have developed. My focus of my final project is about Aboriginal female youth in STEM. With the expression “You cannot be what you cannot see” in mind, I have been looking for Indigenous tech companies with a strong female presence. From their About Us page, this company appears to have a 50/50 ratio of men to women, which is nearly unheard of in the tech industry.

https://alis.alberta.ca/tools-and-resources/conte

This booklet published by the government of Alberta breaks down myths, offers resources and real women’s stories to inspire women to enter non-traditional jobs. There is one story about Brenda Holder, an Aboriginal women who felt the deck was stacked against her, in terms of opening her own business. She was connected with a mentor and created a business plan and is now the successful owner of Mahikan Trails, a Canmore based adventure company. In the article she says “As Aboriginal people sometimes we believe we don’t have much to offer. But often it’s our differences that produce the most amazing opportunities.”

http://www.indigenousyouthwellness.ca/ask-auntie

This is an online program for girls, ages 10-14. Ask Auntie aims to “replicate the traditional learning relationship between youth and their Aunties and Elders”. Their target age is a critical time for girls, as studies show that their mental health takes a sharp decline around this age. This program promotes cultural understanding and community connections, and is grouped into themes such as identity, culture and connection, relationships and safety, body knowledge and body transitions, and wellness and healing. The full program is arranged in a curriculum format, but they also have a YouTube channel that anyone can access.

Module 2 Weblog- Kathryn Williams (née Gardner)

My research topic has changed and developed since the last weblog. On my Module Two entry I am looking more at Indigenous students and STEM subjects. My research is currently focused on barriers to Ingenious students being successful in STEM subjects and programs and initiatives that are trying to provide solutions to these obstacles.

How Native Kids see Science Differently – Interview with Megan Bang

http://crosscut.com/2016/10/how-native-kids-see-science-differently/

In this interview with Megan Bang, an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, the discussion focusses on the Science curriculum and on education not being culturally responsive. She argues that the Science taught at schools is not based people’s communities and that it especially isn’t related to Indigenous communities at all. The interview also discusses STEM subjects being more middle class and the shift that needs to occur to see more Indigenous students interested and successful in these subjects.

Karlie Noon- Employed by the CSIRO’s Indigenous STEM Education Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuFrnm3RytA

http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/api/radio/player/podcast/764971?popup=1&node=627133

http://blog.ungei.org/karlie-noon-interview/

Indigenous woman Karlie Noon was the first Indigenous woman to graduate university in New South Wales, Australia, with joint degree in Mathematics and Physics. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She had a disadvantaged upbringing and didn’t engage with school. An elder, however, tutored her in Mathematics once a week and that is how she found her potential in the subject. Karlie believes in the benefits of mentorship. She now works for CSIRO’s Indigenous STEM Education Project. If you Google her name, there are numerous articles, videos and podcasts that let you know about her and I’ve just included a few examples. In a great deal of the content, Karlie also discusses Indigenous people as the first scientists and explains this with great passion.

STEM.I.AM Initiative – Australia

http://www.stemiam.com.au/programs/

STEM.I.AM is an Australian program aimed at increasing the number of Indigenous students studying STEM subjects at university. The initiative is directed towards students in grades 5-12 and the exciting programs range from coding and robotics workshops to establishing community-led coding clubs. STEM.I.AM “encourages Indigenous kids to go to school, stay at school and learn and engage with STEM through the fun of coding and robotics.”

Improving Science Education for Native Students: Teaching Place through Community by Megan Bang, Douglas Medin and Gregory Cajete.

http://groups.psych.northwestern.edu/medin/documents/BangMedinCajete2009SACNAS.pdf

In the article the authors state, “Science classrooms are often the sites at which Indigenous children are implicitly and explicitly told they the knowledge of their people, their histories, and their ways of developing knowledge of the world are a myth, informal of outright wrong.” Cajete argues that Indigenous Science is about knowing place and that everything is related. I chose this article because the authors outline ‘effective science learning environments’ and how to foster them; I always find practical examples helpful for my own teaching practice.

Science from a Native Perspective: How do we Educate for a Sustainable Future? Interview with Indigenous Science Scholar Gregory Cajote

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/global/cajete/gregory-cajete-int2015.html

In this interview, Gregory discusses his personal experiences of being as an Indigenous child in New Mexico; being successful at Science in school but then also being told different explanations by his grandmother at home. Even at a young age he sensed “a conflict of these two ways of looking at the world.” Cajote’s educational journey and his explanation of ‘Native Science’ is a topic that both very much interests me and one that I am hoping will feature in my final project.