NOAA OAR and OMAO Participate in Waccamaw Siouan Tribal STEM Event
Article Provided by ORTA Team
Figure 1: Waccamaw Siouan STEM Exhibit Area – East Columbus Jr./Sr. High School (Credit: Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio)
On Saturday, September 7th the NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Office of Research, Transition, and Application (ORTA) and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) participated at the fourth annual Waccamaw Siouan STEM Day event.
The Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio STEM Day brought together Native American youth and elders for a day of exploration and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe, they are “one of eight state-recognized Native American tribes in North Carolina.” They are located predominantly in the southeastern North Carolina counties of Bladen and Columbus, in the communities of St. James, Buckhead, and Council.
Seventeen tribes were represented at the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal STEM event, including 50 Elders, 125 Youth (ages 5-18), 60 chaperones, and 90 volunteers. Out of the 27 STEM workshops, six were led by Native Americans. Participants enjoyed a variety of activities, with organizations from near and far showcasing science and math-based projects. Ashley Lomboy, Program Director of the Siouan STEM Studio indicated “Families come here and experience a positive environment where different tribes come together to learn and be honored.”
Students at the Waccamaw Siouan STEM event were enthusiastic about exploring the ocean via virtual reality (VR) experiences provided by ORTA. From diving with sharks to swimming through shipwrecks, participants had the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity of the ocean and learn about how NOAA is involved with all aspects of the environment. Students had the opportunity to learn about NOAA’s mission by connecting with staff, collecting educational materials, and receiving encouragement to follow their interests in STEM and careers at NOAA. Likewise, NOAA staff were mutually encouraged by the participants’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and knowledge of the natural world.
Figure 2: (Left-to-right) Hanna Odahara (Knauss Fellow, AOML), Kenneth Vierra (ORTA), Ashley Lomboy, Program Director of the Siouan STEM Studio and LT John M. Katchenago (OMAO) (Credit: NOAA)
Kenneth Vierra, represented ORTA and Hanna Odahara represented OAR/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). LT John M. Katchenago, NOAA Small Boat Program Executive Officer, represented OMAO. LT Katchenago is also Co-Chair of NOAA’s American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Employee Resource Group (ERG) and on-detail as a NOAA Tribal Liaison with the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.
In addition to the educational materials available to students and adults, ORTA hosted a VR experience. This offered the students the chance to discover colorful corals, explore a shipwreck, swim with playful sea lions, and explore Hawaiian waters with green sea turtles. These VR experiences were created by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. More information about these can be found at the Sanctuaries 360°: Explore the Blue website.
Also available on ORTA’s VR headset was the opportunity to investigate the urban heat island effect in Washington, DC. This virtual reality experience created jointly by the NOAA Global Systems Laboratory, Office of Education / Science on a Sphere, and NESDIS Viz Lab guides viewers through the nation’s capital, displaying the urban heat island phenomenon throughout the city. Urban heat islands are areas that experience higher temperatures compared to nearby more rural areas. These temperature differences are often due to highly concentrated urbanized features, such as buildings and roads and limited greenery, such as trees.
Figure 3: Hanna Odahara providing the VR Experience to Siouan STEM Student (Credit: NOAA)
Figures 4 – 5: Kenneth Vierra (Left) and LT John M. Katchenago (Right) talking to the students about NOAA and providing educational materials (Credit: NOAA)
Figure 6: 2024 STEM Day summary infographic (Credit: Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio)