HIAWATHA, Kan. — A last-minute opportunity has led to what Kansas 4-H leaders believe can be a long-term partnership to teach important life skills to Native American youth in northeast Kansas.
In June, 25 youth from the Pottawatomie and Kickapoo Tribal Nations received an invitation to attend the Education Experience Camp at Kansas State University. The camp focused on teaching science, technology, engineering and math skills, commonly known as STEM.
The camp was originally planned for 50 youth from southwest Kansas, but when half of those kids were not able to attend, organizers hurried to find replacements.
“We were able to invite kids from the Pottawatomie and Kickapoo Tribal Nation to come to the STEM camp,” said Aliah Mestrovich Seay, a Kansas 4-H specialist for new youth and adult audiences.
While the on-campus, overnight experience was especially valuable to the youth participating, it has since led to broader programs for more Native American youth.
“The Boys and Girls Clubs for the Kickapoo Tribal Nation were wanting to implement STEM education into their group,” said Matt Young, the 4-H agent for K-State Research and Extension in Brown County, where the Kickapoo and Iowa tribes are located.
“We’ve been working with both of those tribes over the years in a lot of different ways, and this was an area we thought we could help them with. It was kind of a win-win for both groups.”
Mestrovich Seay went right to work to provide materials and other resources from the state 4-H program, and Young helped provide contact with Boys and Girls Club staff members who were then trained to teach STEM lessons.
“The training included information on how they could use different programs with the kids that were culturally relevant,” Mestrovich Seay said. “And they really liked that because all of the staff was indigenous at the Boys and Girls Club.”
Kansas 4-H is providing ‘Tech Kits’ that provide hands-on activities in aerospace, robotics, food science, agriculture and entomology. As of mid-July, 75 youth are participating in the weekly STEM lessons.
“It’s exciting to see the kids try things and make mistakes, but then try again and experiment and learn that it’s not just about the end result but rather how you get there,” Mestrovich Seay said. “It has been an eye-opening experience for all of us.”
Young said that including the June camp on the Kansas State University campus, many of the youth are getting at least one STEM lesson every week this summer.
“The directors have been really pleased and the kids have had good comments about the program,” Young said. “I think one of the biggest indicators that they like it is that the kids will say that the ‘STEM guys’ are here this week.”
He added: “The program’s been important to me. I have a passion for youth education and helping kids. These are under-served audiences in our county that need some help. Their directors were limited on funding to provide this, and that’s what we were able to help with. It’s worked out well.”
Mestrovich Seay hopes to add regular STEM programming with youth on the Pottawatomie reservation. She said she plans to invite youth from all three tribes to next summer’s Education Experience Camp at K-State.
“The sky’s the limit at this point, because if this is how far we’ve come since April, then I think there’s a lot more than we can do,” she said.
In addition to Kansas 4-H and K-State Research and Extension, groups that have been instrumental in making the program work have been the university’s College of Education and the Center for Engagement and Community Development.
— Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension
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