Meet the Fellows: Introducing the 2021 Indigenous Communities Fellows!
On February 11, 2021, Solve opened our 2021 Indigenous Communities Fellowship and asked Indigenous leaders throughout the United States: How can Native innovators in the US use traditional knowledge and technology to drive social, environmental, and economic impact in their communities? The 54 US-based solutions that we received all harness technology and traditional knowledge to drive positive impact in Native communities across the United States and its territories. Solve received a diversity of solutions that focus on language and cultural revitalization, Indigenous STEM programming, sustainable agriculture and energy, Indigenous health and wellness, and tribal self-determination.
After carefully reviewing these applications, Solve and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship Leadership Group selected 15 finalists to pitch their solutions to the Solve community. After much deliberation, our expert judges selected seven Fellows for our Indigenous Communities cohort. We are thrilled to introduce the 2021 Indigenous Communities Fellows:
Every Kid Gets a Robot
Every Kid Gets a Robot, based in Troy, Michigan, is aiming to increase technical educational accessibility for youth with an affordable robotics kit.
Hawaiian Language Children Media Network
Hawaiian Language Children Media Network, based in Kaneohe, Hawaii, is producing Hawaiian culture and language-based educational multimedia products for children and their families.
Nurturing Plants
Nurturing Plants, based in Navajo, New Mexico, uses an innovative hydroponic system to increase food security in the Navajo Nation.
One Canoe Project: Navigating Changing Tides
One Canoe Project: Navigating Changing Tides, based in Tamuning, Guam, is developing a culturally rooted, K-12 Climate Literacy Curriculum for Children of the Mariana Islands that connects learners to the lands, waterways, and communities that surround them.
Shunka Kola: A Rez-Dog Project
Shunka Kola: A Rez Dog Project, based in Kyle, South Dakota, is developing a dog population monitoring program on the Pine Ridge Reservation that is effective, efficient, and ethical.
Waking Women Healing Institute
Waking Women Healing Institute, based in Gresham, Wisconsin, is focusing on healing and justice for Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit through Arc GIS online and story maps.
WE - Digital Ecocultural Mapping Project
WE - Digital Ecocultural Mapping Project, based in Bellingham, Washington, will map cultural and biological data at traditional village sites in the Salish Sea to support thriving cultures and ecosystems for all.
Feeling inspired? Find out how you can support these innovators, and learn more about joining Solve as a Member.