Professional development

Little Scientists supports educators to incorporate indigenous knowledge and STEM

Freya Lucas

May 24, 2021

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An upcoming panel discussion, hosted by Little Scientists Australia as part of its popular STEM Hour professional development series, will support educators by sparking ideas for respectful and meaningful implementation of Indigenous STEM knowledge into early childhood settings.

The STEM Hour series features panel discussions with experts and leaders from different fields discussing their passion and connecting STEM with early childhood education.

On the 3 June, Little Scientists National Training Manager Heike Hendershot will be hosting STEM Hour with panellists’ Dr Michael Donovan from Macquarie University, STEM leader and engineer Grant Maher and Bio-cultural Science Educator Torres Webb to discuss examples of Indigenous science concepts that “kindle children’s excitement”.

The webinar has been timed to coincide with National Reconciliation Week which encourages all Australians to seek ways to take action toward Reconciliation and to recognise that Reconciliation is more than a word.

“I’m interested in finding out how Indigenous perspectives in STEM education can be included in the classroom with humility and respect,” Ms Hendershot said.

For more than 60,000 years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures have been observing, inquiring and collecting knowledge, which includes an abundance of scientific information that has been passed on from generation to generation.

This knowledge, organisers said, plays an essential role in addressing the biggest scientific questions of today such as food security and climate change.

First Nations perspectives and knowledge offer a lived experience with a unique understanding of the diverse and complex ecosystems in Australia that have changed over time, and Little Scientists said they were pleased to invite educators to join in and discover how ancient knowledge maintains relevance today, and permeates early childhood education.

Registrations for the Indigenous Science webinar can be made here.

To learn more about the other topics in the STEM Hour series, see here.

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