Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM Alliance

About This Session

Thursday, November 16

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Room: Prairie B

BHSU CIRCLES Alliance

Description

In this session, members of the Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM (CIRCLES) Alliance will share the goals and objectives aligned to South Dakota. The Alliance endeavors to facilitate discussions with educators and communities about culturally relevant STEM activities and to deliver teacher professional development to support educators in effective, equitable STEM teaching with connections to indigenous STEM. Participants will engage in dialogue intentional efforts needed for engaging, encouraging, and exciting Native youth in perusing STEM disciplines. The CIRCLES Alliance is funded by National Science Foundation INCLUDES grant. The CIRCLES project is an Alliance of six states working in collaboration to address the underrepresentation of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and the STEM workforce by collectively engaging Tribal communities through conversation, relationship building, and collaboration. Relationships and efforts within the CIRCLES Alliance are guided by an Indigenous framework centered on the 7Rs- Respect, Responsibility, Relationships, Relevance, Representation, Reciprocity and Resilience. 

Session Presenter(s)

Stephanie Higdon
CIRCLES Curriculum Development Facilitator and Library Director

Stephanie Higdon began her position as the CIRCLES Curriculum Development Facilitator and Library Direction in July at Black Hills State University. The Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM (CIRCLES) Alliance is a National Science Foundation- funded initiative to develop Native-based STEM education activities for K-12 and higher education students. The six-state Alliance builds on partnership with communities in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming to increase the engagement, involvement and success of Native and Alaska Native students in STEM.

In her more than 20 years in education, Stephanie has worked diligently with K-12 students and educators to ensure students have access to equitable opportunities, to engage in high level tasks, aligned to grade level standards, that cause curiosity in learning and develop their STEM identity. She believes educators need opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and engage in discussion to grow as leaders. Stephanie has spent the majority of her career supporting learners in mathematics and has recently broadened her scope to include more STEM disciplines.