Cherokee Space Agency

According to a report published under the National Conference of State Legislatures, Indigenous students are least likely to graduate college of any minority group. The report, titled “The Current State of STEM Education for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities,” highlights how limited access to STEM education directly contributes to only 7% of Indigenous students earning a Bachelor’s degree.

Cherokee Space Agency will solve this problem by engaging Cherokee students K-12 in the space sciences with an emphasis on Cherokee language, culture, and divergent thinking. By helping Cherokee students take pride in their heritage while pursuing the space sciences, we will assist the Cherokee community in their pursuits of both higher education and success in the space industry. 

We will begin by serving the Cherokee community, but our ultimate goal is to aid all Indigenous youth in overcoming systemic socioeconomic disadvantages via empowering first-generation Indigenous scientists and astronauts.

Cherokee Space Agency is committed to solving the Challenge-specific problem of how to “Support language and cultural revitalization, quality K-12 education, and support for first-generation college students” within the Cherokee community. 

According to a 2017 Cherokee Nation Ecosystem report, only 44% of Cherokee Nation students have a high school diploma. Furthermore, the report projects that over 80% of newly created jobs between 2016 and 2025 will require high school or post-secondary education as entry level requirements. Therefore, if the education of Cherokee youth does not improve within the next four years, an epidemic of unemployment looms ahead. This harsh reality is true not only for Cherokee Nation, but for Indigenous peoples globally.

There are approximately 390,000 Cherokee Nation citizens; as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, 21.7% of Cherokee Nation's population are under the age of 18. Ergo, Cherokee Space Agency will impact the STEM educations and futures of over 80,000 Cherokee youths. Our goal is not only to engage Cherokee youths in the space sciences but to also provide state-of-the-art support in STEM by connecting our youths to a network of scientists who can provide mentorship and inspiration for the pursuit of post-secondary education.

Cherokee Space Agency will host weekly interactive STEMinars at reservation schools where students will have the opportunity to participate in fun science experiments - predominantly in the field of space science - that will also incorporate Cherokee language and traditional cultural activities. These cultural and language-filled activities will feature Cherokee teachings of sustainability with nature, powwows, and how talking sticks are used “in circle” to come to agreements peacefully with peers. In addition, we will focus on divergent thinking in order to nurture and inspire the entrepreneurial spirit within our Cherokee students. 

Finally, our students will be connected to a network of scientists that will mentor and assist them in finding a path in STEM. We will also provide extracurricular support for our students in order to address any struggles they may face with math or science. We aim to increase the number of Cherokee high school graduates, Cherokee college graduates, and Cherokee scientists and astronauts. Then, we will branch out and provide similar support to other tribes and Indigenous students across the globe.

Cherokee Space Agency will directly benefit youth in the Cherokee community by providing vital access to STEM education and resources as well as a support network. In our journey to foster first-generation Indigenous scientists and astronauts, we will welcome active feedback from our students about our program as we aim to create fun, engaging STEM experiences. These experiences will also enable our students to take pride in their culture as both STEM and Cherokee language are incorporated. 

Additionally, our programs will be tailored to empower Cherokee youth to overcome alcoholism, substance abuse, domestic violence, and many other issues that are experienced at higher rates in Native populations than any other minority group in the United States. 

By providing a strong, supportive education in STEM with an emphasis on Cherokee language and culture, we can overcome historic trauma and provide a brighter, addiction-free future for our Indigenous peoples.

As stated previously, only 7% of Indigenous students earn a Bachelor's degree, and only 44% of Cherokee students earn a high school diploma. In addition, the American Addiction Centers reported that alcohol and substance abuse is highest among Indigenous peoples than any other ethnic group due to historic trauma, unemployment, and low levels of achieved education.

Cherokee Space Agency seeks to solve these issues in the Cherokee community by providing quality K-12 STEM education with emphasis on Cherokee language, culture, and divergent thinking. By creating a STEM support network for our Indigenous youth, we can uplift them and their futures.

Currently, Cherokee Space Agency is at the concept stage because we have not yet procured funding for the organization. Once seed funding is secured, we can begin hiring employees that specialize in professional youth development, STEM education, Cherokee language, and Cherokee culture.