This year Andrea Delgado-Olson and Deanna Burgart relaunched the Education Committee, which was founded more than a decade ago to focus on STEM education for pre-college (K–12) students. Both committee officers are experienced educators. Delgado-Olson, Ione Band of Miwok Indians, taught for nearly 20 years before shifting to computer science to support communities in the digital space. She is the founder of the Indigenous Perspectives for Reconciliation Resources Consulting Group and Native American Women in Computing. Burgart, a Cree-Dene member of the Fond du Lac First Nation, is the founder of Indigenous Engineering Inclusion and IndigeSTEAM, and a senior instructor at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering.
Both were recently appointed to the AISES Board of Directors, and are now looking to build a team of “champion members” to work with them on the Education Committee. There are currently 25 members refining the group’s objectives. So far among the committee’s goals are developing culturally relevant curricula rooted in Indigenous knowledge, promoting educational opportunities for Indigenous students, and supporting educational institutions and community outreach organizations for young people.
With the growth of more .caISES chapters in Canada — and increased First Nations, Métis, and Inuit membership — the committee will also be expanding its activity and connections in those areas. The committee meets three times a year, and new member inquiries are welcome. To find out more, contact dburgart@indigeneering.com.