American Indian Science and Engineering Society facts for kids
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| Formation | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Arnold Anderson Al Qöyawayma Carol Gardipe George Thomas Jerry Elliott Jim Shorty |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Focus | Native American education |
| Location |
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Area served
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United States and Canada |
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Members
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c. 4000 |
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Key people
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Sarah EchoHawk (Pawnee) Chief Executive Officer |
| Endowment | $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 |
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Employees
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10 to 29 FTE |
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (often called AISES) is a special group that helps Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and First Nation people. Their main goal is to encourage more of these young people to study and work in exciting fields like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
AISES is a non-profit organization, which means it uses its money to help people, not to make a profit. Its main office is in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As of 2013, the leader of AISES is Sarah EchoHawk.
Contents
History of AISES
AISES was started in 1977 by a group of American Indian scientists. These founders included:
- Arnold Anderson, a Mohawk scientist who worked on the Manhattan Project.
- Al Qöyawayma
- Carol Gardipe (from the Penobscot tribe)
- George Thomas (from the Cherokee tribe)
- Jerry C. Elliott (from the Cherokee and Osage tribes)
- Alex Labadie (from the Osage Nation)
- Jim Shorty (from the Navajo tribe)
Since it began, AISES has held a big meeting every year called the AISES National Conference. This three-day event includes the largest job fair for people in "Indian country." It helps connect students and professionals with job opportunities.
AISES Chapters and Schools
AISES has many groups, called chapters, across the United States and Canada. As of 2011, there were 177 chapters at colleges and universities. There were also 13 chapters for adults who are already working in their careers.
Beyond colleges, AISES also works with younger students. About 150 schools for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade are connected with AISES. These schools help over 45,000 Native American students learn about STEM.
Winds of Change Magazine
AISES publishes a magazine called Winds of Change. This magazine comes out four times a year. It shares interesting stories and information about science, technology, engineering, and math, especially focusing on Native Americans in these fields.
Scholarships for Students
AISES helps students pay for college through scholarships. Scholarships are like gifts of money that help students afford their education. In 2012, AISES offered four main college scholarship programs:
- A.T. Anderson Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship has been given since 1983. It helps AISES members who are studying subjects like math, science, medicine, engineering, and technology.
- AISES Google Scholarship: Supported by Google, this scholarship helps students interested in technology.
- AISES Intel Scholarship: This scholarship is supported by Intel, another big technology company.
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation Scholarship: This scholarship helps students with their college costs.
AISES Awards and Recognition
At the yearly AISES Leadership Summit, students vote for two special awards. These awards celebrate young leaders:
- The Rising Leader Award
- The Leadership Award
For example, in 2018, a soil scientist named Lydia Jennings received the Rising Leader Award.
AISES also recognizes its chapters. In 2011, the AISES chapter at San Juan College won the National Student Chapter of the Year award. This was a big achievement because San Juan College is a community college. Before this, the award usually went to big universities like Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
See also
