Growing STEM/STEAM Initiatives Within Tribal Youth Programs

September 1, 2022

By: Stephanie Autumn, TYRC Co-Director/TYP Lead, with contributions by- Thor Peterson, Pueblo of Acoma TYP Coordinator, & Dolores Winn, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan TYP Coordinator

The Tech Boom of the 1990s and 2000s brought an economic demand to the forefront that required national education policy makers, leaders, and organizations across the country to build programs that provide expanded opportunities for youth to advance their interests and competencies in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.

In the 2011 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama told Congress and the country, “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.” It was his call for the United States to ramp up technological innovation to stay competitive with other nations, spur economic growth, preserve national security, and propel ingenuity. Obama called for the United States to seize this modern moment for our youth, asking educators to prioritize 21st-century skills learning.

With millions in funding for teacher training, grants, research, and measurability, STEM is now a household name in education practice. Unfortunately, resources and funding for Native students, schools, and Tribal communities have been limited, as noted by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s article, “Why STEM.”

In the last few years, a new and very similar term emerged: STEAM. The “A” in steam refers to the arts. Educators felt that incorporating the A in STEAM lends to increased personal expression, empathy, and meaning, and provides purpose to what students are learning (Cook, 2020). In her article, “Critical Evidence: How The Arts Benefit Student Achievement – NASAA,” Dr. Kristen Cook Associate Dean of Bellarmine’s Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education, notes that there is evidence that an art focus included in the STEM curriculum helps nurture a creative mindset and other related skills, which leads to increased opportunities to be successful in real-world, professional settings and problem-solving situations.

Recently, two Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)-funded Tribal Youth Programs launched and utilized innovation, Tribal traditions, and Indigenous environmental protection strategies to integrate STEM & STEAM into their Tribal Youth Programs’ educational and cultural offerings.

The Tribal Youth Program (TYP) at the Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico, wraps all STEM/STEAM instruction and activities around Acoma culture. Guided by the leadership of Thor Peterson, TYP Acoma Program Coordinator, the young people of this program created the Niutemahgu Garden Project. In the past, Acoma had a tradition of farming with the outlying village in order to have access to fertile land and water. These agreements and partnerships were part of Acoma traditional methods and customs dating back hundreds of years. The growth of the Niutemahgu Garden Project has revitalized farming and investment of outside agricultural programs and partnerships at the Pueblo of Acoma.

Guided by the leadership of Tribal Youth Program Coordinator Delores Winn, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe TYP program staff developed a STEM/STEAM initiative. The focus of these efforts includes youth studying their local water systems and the impact of harmful bacteria on the land, water, and Tribal community. These young people have been involved in helping grow community gardens and creating RAIN GARDENS (gardens that collect storm water runoff & prevent it from flowing directly into lakes, rivers, and wetlands), and are learning how to preserve their own traditional food sources within Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal lands. Additionally, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal youth were part of a STEM workshop in which they were able to put together and build STEM kits related to Green Science. These included items such as a Salt Powered Robot, Aqua Robot, Windmill Generator, Potato Clock and The Power of Nature- a kit to grow a mini maze with natural sunlight. Upcoming efforts will include a project in which youth can design different 3D plans for youth spaces.

More about STEM/STEAM: