Abstract:

The American Indian Research & Education Center, (AIREC) “Journey” program begins its' eighth year as only one of four U.S. National Institutes of Health, (NIH) High School Coordinating Centers for the Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP). AIREC specifically recruits and mentors American Indian (AI) Alaska Native (AN) 11th & 12th grade students across the nation in an effort to increase research exposure and elevate future biomedical interest at the post-secondary level. "Journey" accomplishes this through mentored research opportunities to the selected AI/AN high school students; including the provision of hands-on experiences which may entail: biomedical, social science, behavioral, and clinical research venues.

Minority groups within the United States are less likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, thus less likely to pursue careers in the biomedical research workforce. The same could be said of American Indian and Alaska Native students; they often do not see themselves as researchers, scientists, health professionals or even going into careers that require a science/research background. Achieving buy-in to the scientific enterprise requires not only for students to become excited about science, but also to see that Tribal communities share and understand the nuances involved with a summer research experience. "Journey" provides perspectives related to drawing AI/AN students into these fields through cultural grounding, gathering and experiencing scientific knowledge, and making meaning for the students and their respective Tribal communities.

"Journey" achieves this through bicognition, as coined by Ibarra in 2001, through finding the ability to think in dual cultures, this was related to Latino graduate student success. For "Journey" the ability to integrate students’ perceived education values and those of Tribal cultural values is a necessity for student success. Another key component to recognize is the historical passing of culture from generation to generation (elders to young learners) involves the reconstruction of past frames of reference and of perceiving and understanding new ones; thus creating a hybrid of “bicognition. It is, however, essential for educators to understand the cultural matrix that shapes American Indian/Alaska Native students in the context of family, community and school in order to assist the AI/AN students with maneuvering within a “bicognition” perspective.

The article will illustrate the ability to reflect and create a dual integrative process for teaching and learning across American Indian and Alaska Native cultures. In addition, how bicognition mirrors individual culture changes as life experiences continue to provide a lens in which students view the world; what we see... might not be their reality. Thus, for teachers to know and understand a students’ perspective provides a starting point for melding cultural frameworks within a learning framework.

Keywords:

American Indian, Alaska Native, High School students, Culture, Science, Research.