Diné College STEM Festival
Diné College STEM Festival
Established in 1968, Diné College aims to preserve and strengthen Navajo language, culture, and teachings through higher education. Diné College was the United States’ first tribally controlled college, with deep roots in the Navajo culture and values, serving the Navajo Nation as an education hub for surrounding Indigenous communities while integrating traditional knowledge and modern academic rigor. On October 21 and 22, the Four Corners Science and Computing Club (4CSCC) participated in the Diné College STEM Festival in Tsaile, Arizona. The two-day event was hosted by the Diné College Land Grant Office. Numerous exhibitors presented hour-long sessions, offering hands-on experiments and lessons,
The two-day event hosted various schools from surrounding areas, with a total of 233 participants. Vendors collaborated and assisted students by facilitating hands-on learning experiences for students, which included experiments and projects involving STEM/STEAM. The sessions were designed so students can complete a project, then move on to another table. This allowed plenty of students to engage with 4CSCC’s lessons and curriculum. Students were given a lecture involving physical computing and air quality.
The 4CSCC mobile Raspberry Pi stations gave students an opportunity to experiment with our lessons. Students explored the 4CSCC lab manuals, which allowed them to create a thorough hands-on experience. Having students in teams engaged an interactive learning environment. There were also lessons involving block coding, where students followed on-screen prompts to understand more about coding. Having various stations with different functions gave students insight on how to initiate projects on their own. This also gave us a chance to engage with students in our latest Micro:bit lessons, such as the blinking LED grid and onboard sensors.
Diné College also strives to increase Native American representation in STEM fields and research initiatives, focusing on environmental science, agriculture, and public health – all directly impacting the Navajo Nation for decades. 4CSCC would like to thank the Diné College Land Grant Office Extension and Outreach office for their welcoming hospitality and assisting us in providing students with educational tools to broaden their future. We’d also like to thank the following schools for their time and effort participating in these sessions: Chinle Elementary School, Piñon Elementary School, K’aa Yik’aas Gi’at’ao Ołta’, San Juan High School, Piedra Vista High School, and Farmington High School.
