INDIGENOUS STEAM KMS100 TEACHER VIRTUAL TRAINING

Overview
As part of our collective efforts to improve the learning experience, and enhance teacher skills and knowledge, Actua and Canadore College are pleased to invite you to the InSTEM Land Based virtual teacher training program. Our goal is to support teachers, educators and Actua network members who are working with Indigenous students and communities in the area of land-based education within the STEM and STEAM fields.1
It is our goal to assist teachers, educators across Canada and throughout the Actua network to gain a better understanding of how Indigenous Land Based Knowledge of the land and STEM activities align in a way that contributes to greater success for students in STEM areas of study.
We are inviting K-12 educators across Canada to join this teacher training opportunity.
The training sessions will run over 5 weeks on the following dates:
Wednesdays, June 30th @ 1:00 PM -3pm EST
Wednesday, July 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th @ 1:00 PM- 3PM EST
While the training will be grounded in Indigenous land-based knowledge of STEM, it is not meant to replace current local Indigenous training in your region. Rather, it is meant to provide teachers and Actua network members with a more in-depth understanding of Indigenous STEM. The training demonstrates how to align science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics with Indigenous ways of knowing, using hands on, self-directed learning and virtual sessions facilitated by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and other STEM practitioners.
Using the Medicine Wheel for guidance and direction, the KM Indigenous STEAM training combines approximately 30 hours of individual self-directed learning and virtual group sharing circles.
1 Actua uses “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the KM STEAM program and some Actua network members use “STEAM” to recognize the role of the “Arts” in relation to STEM concepts. In our work together, we use the terms interchangeably.

Beginning with the feather at the centre and moving first to the East direction of the Medicine Wheel, participants work through each of the four directions. On their own, participants complete activities that encourage hands on learning in relation to the land. At the conclusion of each direction, participants will come together in a virtual session offering opportunities for reflection, connection and community.
During the virtual sessions, participants will be able to connect with Actua STEM instructors and land-based educators from across Canada as well as Elders, Knowledge Keepers and instructors who will facilitate discussions. Actua’s InSTEM team will also be present to offer ongoing networking opportunities for teachers and education authorities.
We welcome your participation and especially your feedback on how we can continue to adapt the program content to meet the needs of teachers in integrating STEM learning and Indigenous land-based education.
There are 5 sessions consisting of approximately 20 hours of self-directed review and 10 hours of virtual sessions).

SESSION 1 - THE EAST: FINDING YOUR VISION (approx. 7 hours incl. live circle)
Live Virtual Circle: Wednesday, June 30th @ 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours
Participants discover their vision and intuitive practices. Participants will develop:
● An understanding of their own personal journey
● A focus on awareness, empathy and compassion, all important for teaching, sharing and learning with students
● Knowledge of the 7 Grandfather Teachings, 4 Sacred Gifts, and more, through an introduction to Indigenous STEAM knowledges and worldviews

SESSION 2 – THE SOUTH: WAYS OF KNOWING (approx. 7 hours incl. live circle)
Live Virtual Circle: Wednesday, July 7th @ 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours
Participants discover more about viewing the world through an Indigenous lens as the training focuses on Indigenous knowledges or “ways of knowing.” Many of the activities will be taught by Knowledge Keepers and Elders. Participants learn:
● How language is embedded in the land
● Land as knowledge
● Ceremonial practices honouring the spirit of all your relations
● Inter-connectivity (balance and harmony) and Inter-relationships
● Wholistic approach

SESSION 3 - THE WEST: ACTION AND INFLUENCE (approx. 7 hours incl. live circle)
Live Virtual Circle: Wednesday, July 14th @ 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours
Participants learn to act and influence others, understanding how individual and collective knowledge can lead to positive action and change. Topics include:
● Self-care (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual)
● Responding to the impact of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples (best practices, trauma-informed approaches, Indigenous mental health)
● principles surrounding sustainability and environmental stewardship
● The concept of well-being for all, including ecosystems

SESSION 4 - THE NORTH: GIVING BACK AND COMMUNITY BUILDING (approx. 7 hours incl. live circle)
Live Virtual Circle: Wednesday, July 21st @ 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours
Participants learn to give back and build community. They gain the tools to provide guidance, support and mentorship to youth enrolled in a land camp. They will understand how to positively influence learners and communities to see, acknowledge and use education as “the New Buffalo.” They will also learn:
● How to build a community at home, including discovering the value of natural space in urban settings
● How to share vision and knowledge with the next generation
● How to plant seeds and make new connections
● How to further connect STEAM values to all directions of the Medicine Wheel as well as wholistically integrating STEAM into Indigenous understanding

SESSION 5 - MAKING CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS and CLOSING WITH THE FEATHER (total 2 hours)
Live Virtual Circle: Wednesday, July 28th @ 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours
This final live session gives participants an introduction to Actua’s InSTEM Outreach Team who connects youth to what they already intrinsically know about STEM from within their own community context by working in partnership with local Indigenous knowledge holders, and Elders who share their Traditional Knowledge. This ensures that the programming Actua delivers remains relevant and reflective of local community cultural and educational priorities. This session includes:
● Outlining a process to connect curriculum outcomes to local Indigenous Knowledge
● Exploring connection made in Actua’s STEM programming
● Reflecting and wrapping up

To learn more, please contact:
Tammy Dokis
Indigenous STEAM Coordinator, First Peoples’ Centre
Canadore College, North Bay, Ontario
Phone: 705-474-7600 ext. 5263 or 705-825-1551
Email: [email protected]

Doug Dokis
Director-InSTEM, Actua
Phone: 705-845-0126
Email: [email protected]