About

The Drone Research and Opportunities for Native Elementary Students (DRONES) project engages community members in envisioning local uses for drones. In the process, it raises student STEM engagement and civic awareness. Working with Indigenous advisors in the Alaska communities of Nenana, Nulato and Valdez, four units of place-based, culturally responsive elementary instruction were developed, along with five educational videos. Students learn: what drones are, the mechanics of how drones function, how to safely and legally operate drones, and real-world applications for drones. Place-based units on wildlife monitoring, wildlife management, and coastal erosion reveal the growing need for a drone-related workforce in rural areas.  

We gratefully acknowledge the Nenana Native Association, the Nulato Tribal Council, and the Valdez Native Tribe for their authorization and support of this work. Many community members have had a significant role in the project. They are credited by name on the project’s student guides, in the teachers’ manuals, and in the video credits.

The DRONES project was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 1850561 (University of Alaska Fairbanks) and 1850556 (University of Alaska Anchorage). Work was done collaboratively by faculty and staff at the two campuses. Development and implementation, including production of curricula and media, was performed by the Geophysical Institute’s Education and Outreach Team under the direction of DRONES PI and Director of Education and Outreach Lynda McGilvary (UAF). Drone professional development instruction for teachers, community outreach events, and content review was supported by the Alaska Center for UAS Integration, under the leadership of DRONES co-PI and ACUASI Director Catherine Cahill (UAF). Community engagement and relationship building efforts are led by DRONES co-PI and UAF Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education Charlene Stern. Project research was performed/directed by DRONES PI and Director for Alaska Education Policy Research at the Institute of Social and Economic Research Dayna DeFeo (UAA). Project Evaluation was provided by Goldstream Group, Inc.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

We acknowledge we live and work on the ancestral lands of the Lower Tanana, Dené, and Dena’ina. Their stewardship of this land over thousands of years makes our work possible.

We believe Alaska Natives are the ones who should determine how and with what information their youth are educated. We seek to collaborate with Elders and with other local knowledge-holders towards the fulfillment of that goal. We hope our efforts convey our desire to overcome the legacy of oppression brought upon Alaska Natives by our non-Native predecessors and will support reconciliation for the benefit of today’s youth.

Our work through this project relies upon the deep involvement and support from the Native Tribes of the Tanana, Koyukon, Sugpiaq and Eyak people. We are eager to learn from and collaborate with their culture bearers.