Delivering Culturally Integrated Sustainability Education
In Progress
Challenge
Minnesotan students are expected to meet a number of new benchmarks related to Indigenous ways of knowing, however most teachers have no formal training on Indigenous science philosophy, history or methods, which makes instruction on the convergence of Indigenous science and Western science a challenge.
Impact Goal
Offer culturally responsive teacher workshops that address the Minnesota state science standards with specific consideration of both Indigenous and Western perspectives, and support delivery of classroom curriculum that exposes middle and high school students to natural resource management careers. Use these workshops as a scalable model of teacher professional development and curricular programming that can be implemented across Minnesota.
Funding
Partner Organization(s)
Project Leads
Freshwater Society
School of Social Work
Biology Department
Professional Development Grounded in Indigenous Knowledges
Waaban is Ojibwe for “tomorrow.” It embodies the Ojibwe philosophy of seventh generation planning. When making decisions and taking actions today, Ojibwe consider not only the immediate future and outcomes, but also their impact on the children seven generations hence.
Indigenous communities across Minnesota have a long history of engagement with environmental conservation and sustainability, yet much of the science that traditionally informs Minnesota's approach to conservation does not include Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.
To create an environmentally literate society that is equipped to protect Minnesota’s inland and coastal waters, it’s imperative to create and implement educational resources and opportunities that are diverse, equitable, inclusive, just and help learners make informed choices that support sustainable natural resource management.
This project was a collaborative effort between the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bemidji State University and University of Minnesota. It united multidisciplinary scientists with teachers and students to create professional learning communities, which promoted environmental literacy and intercultural understanding.
Outcomes
- Sustained engagement from 29 teachers over 2024 and ~60 teachers for 2025 cycle
- Teachers reported increased confidence to address the new Minnesota Science standards and feeling supported in their growth by the professional learning communities model
- Teachers reported that curricular units and projects developed as part of this project resulted in positive student impact, particularly among Native American students in their classes
Meet the Project Team
Project Leads
Additional Team Members
Project Status
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Impact Location
Twin Cities, Bemidji, Grand Portage Reservation