AISES Receives $962,500 Grant From the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to Increase the Representation of Indigenous Peoples in STEM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., September 13, 2021 /3BL Media/ - AISES announced today that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded a $962,500 general operating grant to increase the representation of Indigenous peoples in North America and the Pacific Islands in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education and careers. Over the next three years, grant funds will strengthen and build the AISES internal capacity to produce and use data and knowledge in advancing its work.
“AISES is extremely pleased to receive this general operating grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation because it advances critical STEM programs and outreach with Tribes and Indigenous students and professionals,” said Sarah EchoHawk, AISES CEO. “This grant will create meaningful impact by advancing STEM equity and education for children of color. AISES is grateful to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for all its support in furthering the AISES journey.”
“This general operating grant will grow the AISES organization by engaging in programs and outreach that are designed to help children discover themselves and their passion for STEM, said Board Chair of AISES, Gary Burnette. “The inclusion of Indigenous youth as participants in science learning is a long-held Indigenous value that has been a part of community teachings and learning for centuries. Many of the world’s technological advances originated with Indigenous peoples.”
Andrew Brower, Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation said, “AISES is the leading organization supporting Native students and professionals in STEM education and careers. What’s exciting about their work is how they pair the technical aspects of career development alongside cultural identity and preservation. We are confident that their work will help Indigenous youth become transformative leaders of science and innovation in the future.”
About AISES
Founded in 1977, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. This robust nonprofit currently supports individual student and professional members across the U.S. and Canada in critically needed STEM disciplines. Through chartered college and university chapters, professional chapters, tribal chapters, and affiliated K-12 schools, members benefit from diverse STEM-focused programming that supports careers and promotes student success and workforce development in multiple crucial areas. To learn more visit aises.org.
About W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
