Using Ethnobotany and Aquaponics to Engage Native Youth in STEM

Increasing the diversity of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is more than a noble goal. The richness of ideas and experiences from many cultural perspectives can help to move science forward. To help pave pathways to higher education and STEM careers, we have been working with schools and communities that serve Native American students. Part of this engagement has been to educate students about plants used by Native people of the Great Plains with the help of an ethnobotany booklet. A second approach has been using aquaponics, the coproduction of fish and plants in an ecosystem, to teach aspects of basic agriculture, fish anatomy, and water systems that may, at scale, help ease the food deserts in many Native American and underserved communities. Here, we describe our efforts to engage Native American students in STEM education by using ethnobotany and aquaponics to generate excitement for these fields.