Bringing the Lab to the Kids: Cultivating Transnational Indigenous Solidarity Through Science Practices

This workshop shares work in Ghana, West Africa, using a decolonial approach to community engagement. To promote transnational indigenous solidarity, two indigenous scientists, one Ghanaian and one Native Hawaiian, worked with CSU students and Ghanaian children to engage in science practices based on indigenous knowledge systems. Using Foldscopes (portable paper microscopes), they helped the children examine the stages of a mosquito’s life to prevent malaria in their community in an ecologically-friendly way. CSU students learned how youth tap into indigenous knowledge by gathering stories from their elders. Together they built a global community through the sharing of knowledge across transnational divides. We share stories, images, and sounds from the project that highlight the insights, passion, and cultural exchange everyone experienced.