The intent of the Education research stream is to explore innovative environmental educational programs based on the alliance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and scientific knowledge. This work will be used to develop curriculum for Tl'azt'en and UNBC students. It is our hope that other First Nations and universities can use our work as a template for their own collaborations in the realm of science and environmental curriculum development.

Tl'azt'enne have identified a gap in the transfer of their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from older to younger generations. Tl'azt'enne also see challenges for their youth in attaining the science and math skills necessary to succeed in high school, as well as in university and college science programs.

Meeting this challenge will help members of Tl'azt'en Nation become professional resource managers, and contribute their skills and knowledge to the management of Tl'azt'en territory. A sustainable future, one which provides healthy communities and effective resource management, requires the use and integration of both scientific knowledge and TEK.

Debbie Page (Tl'azt'en Education) and Chris Jackson (UNBC) are developing educational programs to make youth excited about learning. These programs are intended to support the transfer of TEK, and to develop skills in science.

Our first year will allow us to set the stage by determining what resources are currently available for curriculum development, gather background information on possible reasons for difficulties in science, and investigate solutions found in other areas that might serve as useful models for this project.