| Indigenous Youth Managing their Environment: National Science Week 2000

The Remote Area Developments Group and Kulbardi Centre (wwwkulbardi.murdoch.edu.au/) at Murdoch University received support from the National Science Week 2000, Science and Technology Awareness Program (STAP) to conduct a project titled ‘Indigenous Youth Managing their Environment’. The Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources (ISR) fund National Science Week to help take science out of the laboratory and into the community. Over 400 indigenous students enrolled at a number of metropolitan schools throughout Perth attended the Environmental Technology Centre at Murdoch University for a portion of the week (3-10 May 2000) to take part in the project. The week was not offered to the exclusion of Non Indigenous students, but rather emphasised the linkages that can be established between a context of respect and appreciation of Indigenous cultural values and the science of sustainable environmental management. Of the 44 projects officially endorsed by STAP throughout Australia this project was the only one emphasising this linkage of science to indigenous culture.

Indigenous Youth Managing their Environment consisted of a week of workshops, demonstrations and practical activities conducted over the National Science Week (3 - 10 May 2000). The theme of the week was to introduce students to low cost, robust, and appropriate environmental technologies applicable to urban, rural and remote settlements. Activities were organised under 5 main categories, namely: Food, Waste Management, Water, Shelter and Energy. Students and teachers were supplied with information materials and some practical understanding of how science and technology relate to the concept of sustainable development and environmental management.