We are excited to announce that Science Rendezvous has been granted a PromoScience Award through NSERC’s PromoScience Program, which supports organizations working with young Canadians to promote STEM understanding and education.
This PromoScience Award will support a three-year project aimed at raising awareness of the multifaceted importance of trees and other flora to Indigenous populations across Canada. This initiative not only recognizes the significance of these natural resources to Indigenous cultures but also highlights the importance of integrating Indigenous and scientific knowledge systems for a comprehensive understanding of our environment.
The objective of this project is to embrace the principle of Etuaptmumk, the Mi’kmaw word meaning two eyed seeing, to educate all Canadians, and particularly geographically separated Indigenous communities. The project will focus on showcasing land-based Traditional plant knowledge and how it has contributed to and continues to significantly impact Western science, and highlighting how Western science can play a role in preserving Indigenous communities’ access to the natural resources that are essential to their cultures and ways of life.
The project draws inspiration from the success of the Wáhta Teachings initiative, which honors Wáhta, the Kanyen’keha word for what English speakers call the Sugar Maple. The resources in development feature flora unique to various Indigenous communities across different biomes, including the Red Cedar, Poplar, Tamarack, Birch, and Spruce. Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Cultural Advisors from each region will be invited to be the principal decision-makers in determining the key content and species of flora to include in the resource, as was the case in the development of Wáhta Teachings.
Collaboration is at the heart of this endeavor. Community-based artists will be commissioned to research, develop, and create original pieces that illuminate the knowledge about the featured flora. Additionally, field-based academics, including ecologists, biologists, and climatologists, will be invited to learn from Indigenous perspectives and contribute complementary data based on Western science. The final resources will be enriched with photographs, videos, audio files, and graphics, making them engaging and immersive. The project’s outcomes will be published in two digital formats: an interactive PDF and the Articulate 360° platform. These resources will be made available in English, French, and the Indigenous language of the geographic region in which the tree is situated.
Science Rendezvous utilized the PromoScience Supplement Award to address issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and access within the STEM community. Although our organization has provided free programming to the public for 15 years, invisible barriers—social, cultural, geographic, and economic—still prevent many Canadian youth from accessing and engaging with this content. By translating promotional materials into multiple languages and accommodating locally identified inclusion practices, we aim to break down the barriers preventing many Canadian youth from accessing STEM opportunities. This initiative aligns with our commitment to nurturing positive early life experiences that shape children’s academic self-concept and inspire their aspirations in the field of science.
Science Rendezvous is also committed to maintaining our ongoing engagement with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples and their organizations. We recognize that Indigenous wisdom and scientific discovery walk hand in hand, and we are dedicated to unveiling the profound interplay between flora, Indigenous communities, and scientific knowledge systems through this three-year project. This PromoScience grant empowers our organization to continue bridging gaps and promoting more accessible and inclusive STEM education.
