An educational experience is being provided for Jemez Pueblo middle-school students in which they explore the environment from historical, cultural and scientific perspectives. Students are conducting long-term investigations and monitoring of the Earth system in and around the Jemez Pueblo and the neighboring Valles Caldera to understand: variations in weather and micro-climate; evolutionary trends in vegetation, soil conditions and the distribution of fauna and flora due to natural and human influences; the complexity of the hydrologic system; and the dynamics of the still active volcanic and seismic systems in the region. These investigations are closely tied to the cultural and historical traditions of the Jemez people. In partnership with scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and community leaders from the Jemez Pueblo, students and teachers are learning about Earth processes through experimentation in the classroom and a weeklong summer science camp in the Valles Caldera area. By institutionalizing effective teaching practices in the Jemez middle schools, the project invigorates students' interest in scientific exploration. This project offers the Jemez Pueblo community an opportunity to start a new tradition, one that is consistent with their traditional culture, but also includes new ways to address problems facing their society and the world. The long-term vision of this program is to extend participation to all of New Mexico's Native American people and become a model implemented by school districts across the U.S.
