The Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP): Increasing the Representation in the Geosciences by Native American Youth Through Participation in Environmental Restoration Projects

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Native Americans are poorly represented in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. This under representation results from numerous cultural, economic, and historical factors. The broad goal of the Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP) is to develop a network of partners delivering culturally-integrated, geoscience education to Native American young people in grades 6-12 in the northern Olympic Peninsula of Washington while ultimately increasing the number of these students that pursue a geoscience career and/or geoscience degree by creating a pipeline of interested high school graduates into our higher education partners. The ESEP will develop unique approaches to informal geoscience education using environmental restoration as a consequence of dam removal as a centerpiece. Hands-on, geoscience education activities will be delivered in a culturally integrated manner. Tribal elders and educators will participate in all phases of the project. Local school districts will be involved during the academic year. All student participants will have access to year-round mentors and activities. Technical expertise will be provided by the PI; access to land and data related to the planned Elwha River Restoration Project will be provided by Olympic National Park; and educational activities will be carried out by the non-profit, Olympic Park Institute. Additional partners include the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port Angeles (WA) School District and Crescent (WA) School District. It is estimated that the project will directly involve 80 Native American students, 10 local science teachers, and indirectly, 600-700 Olympic Peninsula young people. Broader impacts of the ESEP are realized by the development of a culture-based model for investing an entire Native American community in the geoscience education of their young people. This project is the continuation of a successful two-year pilot.