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NATV 150: Engaging Communities through Native American Studies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Project Description We connected students in groups with these four organizations/schools to work on a research project that was designed by the community in order to aid them in their work. It provided for a meaningful learning experience for the students, connected them to related issues and topics of the course outside of class, and a way for them to contribute back to Native communities, which is a major component of Indigenous education. I am doing this with my NATV 150 class this semester with 4 other Native organizations. They are working on projects such as research Indigenous plants for an exhibit at the museum at the Indian Pueblo cultural center, or researching social studies resources with Native perspectives for the Native American Community Academy, a new middle school. In this project, a small group of 4 students enrolled in the FLC or in NATV 150 will work with a Native organization to research a topic of interest and importance to them. In this sense, we are engaging our students in community-based education because their research project is identified by the organization, members of the community. The benefit to the organizations is the research product that our students will deliver to them when completed in a format of their choosing, such as on CD or in a paper document (i.e. a flyer or pamphlet) or in a powerpoint presentation. The research project is something that will be of use to the organization, so we ask them to identify the topic of the research. In turn, students become more engaged in their learning because the projects have real-life implications and relevance. All our courses in NAS provide an experiential component. It is a way for us to reconnect to our Native communities and give something back that is useful and beneficial. The projects fill a specific need of these organizations as identified by them. The students in turn gain meaningful educational experiences working with the people of these organziations. Eligibility Enrolled in the course Course InformationDepartment: Native American StudiesCourse #: 150 Frequency: Every semester  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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