Katie Gavenus

I am pursuing a Master’s of Education focused on Curriculum & Instruction in Science Education. My specific area of interest is place- and culture-based science education in landscapes and seascapes already affected or likely to be affected by dramatic environmental changes. Many Arctic communities are currently facing these sorts of changes, and the need will only increase in the future. The unique ecology and culture of many Arctic places also makes the educational efforts especially critical and complex. I believe science education needs to be woven with strong fibers of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and lived knowledge. This knowledge is oftentimes rooted in the local language, and that is definitely the case with Inuktitut, where the relationships between people, place, weather and living things both reflect and are reflected in the language.