Easton’s “Watchers and Caretakers of our Aina” program aimed to engage Kailapa youth with traditional and sustainable practices of caring for the land and ocean. Through this project, Easton hopes to develop a new generation of resource managers by connecting traditional Hawaiian practice and modern science.
Kelsey inspired Native youth to protect the ocean by educating about the issue of marine debris from cigarette butts and reducing litter in the environment.
The purpose of the Kendrick’s Mni Wiconi Traditional Knowledge Camp is to integrate traditional knowledge and science to help Native youth understand the importance of the environment. Kendrick and participants visited four different sites to connect Native science to the environment.
Kunu taught Native youth about the health benefits and nutritional value of first foods. He hosted a summer science camp in the greater Portland area where children found and catalogued indigenous foods and learn about traditional ecological knowledge.
Lauren supported the use and consumption of traditional foods and plants by establishing an outdoor nature classroom. She developed an environmental education curriculum for her community, which provides detailed information about the indigenous plants found in the classroom.
Lourdes’s dream was to identify the indigenous plants used to create Wailaki cultural items and educate her community about the uses, history, and current locations of these plants in the area.
Michael’s dream is to overwhelm higher education, in particular STEM fields, with Native youth by providing local high schools on the Navajo Nation with preparation resources for standardized testing and college applications.
Rose’s “Living in Hozho” program sought to empower Native youth to become stewards of the environment by exploring the current policy initiatives to protect Bears Ears National Monument, the traditional teachings related to this site, and traveling to visit the location.
Sunny tested the Animas and San Juan riverbeds for metal and metalloid contaminants and perform a water quality analysis following the Gold King Mine Spill in 2015. Additionally, she educated the public about the significance of preserving natural water resources.
Tara’s dream was to create the first ever indigenous science lab at the Pine Ridge Girls School, which will be founded on traditional Lakota science and traditional ways of life.