Key points
- Two-way science principles help foster respect and trust in the community through STEM projects.
- Living STEM is an Education program in Western Australia connecting schools with Indigenous communities and knowledge holders.
- ‘Now more than ever’ is the theme for National Reconciliation Week, which runs 27 May – 3 June 2024.
“Ask students what they do, and tailor learning to what they like.”
It’s a simple idea but for Dhivahar “Dhiv” Sri Ranjan it makes a big difference.
Dhiv understands the area where he lives and works. He’s one of the teachers in the Pilbara connecting local knowledges to the classroom through Living STEM.
“We're in a region where there's a lot of contribution of Indigenous science, where we can learn about and appreciate it,” Dhiv says.
Unity, trust, and revitalising Aboriginal culture are the core of our Living STEM education program. Living STEM is unique, acting as an agent for true reconciliation.
Dhiv leads the science department at Karratha High School in WA. He’s passionate about STEM and cares about the community’s students, many of whom are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Dhiv says involving the students shows them you genuinely care.
“Because we're here for the students and it's really about them,” Dhiv says.
Embedding Indigenous knowledge in STEM curriculum
Living STEM works to foster reconciliation by building respectful, meaningful, and mutually beneficial relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The program sees STEM education as a living network shaping the future. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is intertwined with the Australian STEM curriculum and knowledge systems. This deep knowledge is passed down through countless generations of Indigenous Australians and still remains deeply ingrained in community.
Knowledge includes hunting, weather tracking, tool making, and health and genetics. These have sustained Indigenous Australian communities for thousands of years. Indigenous ecological knowledge is often key to unlocking our unique environments.
Living STEM prioritises the connection between schools and Aboriginal knowledge holders like Sarah Hicks and Murujuga Elders. Sarah is a Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation Ranger in the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia. She has participated in Living STEM as a workshop lead for educators.
“Seeing the teachers participating in something like this was exciting,” Sarah says.
“It felt like, they mean it, they want to learn, and they want to be a part of it.”
Living STEM supports teachers with embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientific knowledge through original hands-on projects. These projects are designed in collaboration and focus on embedding local knowledge in the STEM curriculum.
The Living STEM benefits of two-way science
Living STEM guides educators through two-way science skills and thinking. Through integrated learning programs, it connects cultural knowledge of local communities with Western science and the Australian curriculum. In this way, the program’s approach helps increase student engagement and achievement in STEM.
The model also helps students to explore STEM subjects that value and connect with their cultural identity. In turn, this leads to increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
We delivered the Living STEM program to a first intake of schools in WA's Karratha in 2023. Currently limited to only 30 schools in remote Western Australia, Living STEM integrates local Indigenous knowledge into the classroom. In this way, it brings STEM to life and takes science concepts beyond the school gate.
Living STEM includes finding a community partnership and setting up a local, science technology, engineering or maths (STEM) project locally.
Connections are fostered with Elders, knowledge holders and rangers in each region. Living STEM helps schools develop and sustain relationships that lead to meaningful engagement with STEM subjects.
Sustainability in the Pilbara
One Living STEM project is with Clinton Walker and Tambrey Primary School in WA’s Pilbara region.
Clinton is a Ngarluma/Yindjibarndi Traditional Owner, community business operator, and a strong supporter of the Living STEM program. Clinton acted as cultural leader and MC for Living STEM’s inaugural 2023 showcase.
Clinton will lead local teachers on country during National Reconciliation Week (NRW) as part of the Living STEM program. This project highlights the sophisticated marine ecological knowledge held by Traditional Owners in the Pilbara area.
Teachers will get opportunities to investigate the complex interdependent relationships between flora and fauna in intertidal zones, and how Indigenous knowledges of these relationships is used to manage, protect and utilise these unique environments effectively. Intertidal zones are where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides.
Learning about the complexities of marine ecosystems, Educators will also learn more about Ngarluma/Yindjibarndi sustainability practices. These practices are built into this type of farming, marine ecology, and seasonal indicators.
Mhairi King is our Program Lead.
“Living STEM’s two-way science principles encourages collaboration and partnership between scientists, schools, and Indigenous communities. The program actively involves Indigenous peoples in the teaching of local ecological scientific projects and processes,” Mhairi says.
“In doing so, Living STEM promotes mutual respect, understanding, and trust, which are essential for reconciliation.”
How Living STEM benefits students
Living STEM recognises and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as Australia’s first scientists, first engineers, and first mathematicians. The program benefits everyone, providing authentic and engaging learning that deepens the connection with Country and culture where students live. Living STEM also helps remote schools and communities practically, connecting cultural knowledge with the Australia STEM curriculum.
NRW is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
We are partnering with Chevron Australia to deliver the Living STEM program, connecting Indigenous knowledges to the classroom.
