Native Youth and Community Project (NYCP)

With the generous support of the U.S. Department of Education, AISES is working on several four-year-long projects which provide culturally relevant K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming: 

• Project: "Traditional Knowledge, New Ideas, a Better Cheyenne River"
  • Cheyenne Eagle Butte Schools
• Project: "Woksape Tate Topa: Community Partnership to Increase College and Career Readiness"
  • Dupree School
  • Takini School
  • Timber Lake School
  • Tiospaye Topa School

In collaboration with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, AISES seeks to increase interest and engagement in STEM subjects among students of all ages, build educators' capacity to support students in STEM, and generate Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe parent and community support of and engagement in STEM studies and careers.

AISES provides a wide variety of events and activities such as AISES led in-class lessons, professional development trips for educators, STEM summer enrichment camps for kids, community STEM nights, college preparation workshops, career-readiness webinar series, STEM field trips, and support for after-school AISES Affiliate Club activities.

**Due to COVID-19 precautions, all 2020 activities were held virtually**

Virtual Robot Building Class

AISES also provides schools with STEM supplies such as Discover Drones and Sphero BOLTS (robotics equipment). AISES collaborates with educators to provide a culturally relevant, hands-on, and engaging curriculum that incorporates Native language and culture. For example, one lesson contains Lakota star knowledge. 

Soil Science

Students and teachers are also allowed to attend the AISES National Conference each Fall. Student participation is encouraged in AISES' National American Indian Virtual Science and Engineering (NAIVSEF)and the AISES Energy Challenge, an energy-related virtual science and engineering fair competition. 

For more information, please contact Taylor Kingsbery, Program Officer, tkingsbery@aises.org.

Joseph Moreno, Cheyenne Eagle Butte Schools & Tiospaye Topa School

Joseph Ferdinand Moreno is a high school Science Teacher in Cheyenne Eagle Butte School District 20-1.  He was born in the Philippines and came to the U.S. on an Exchange Cultural Teacher program to teach at the Cheyenne Eagle Butte School in 2016.  Joseph has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of San Carlos (Philippines) and is passionate about serving in the Lakota community.  He has been a teacher for ten years.  Joseph is enjoying his work as the AISES NYCP Cheyenne Eagle Butte and Tiospaye Topa School Program Manager which he sees as another way he can help his students.

Tiffany Pesicka, Dupree School

 Tiffany Pesicka is one of the AISES Native Youth Community Project (NYCP) Program Manager contractors located on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota.  She is also the CTE Instructor at the Dupree School District. An enrolled member of Kul Wicasa Oyate, Tiffany grew up working on her family ranch on Lower Brule Sioux reservation and spent many years helping at the family sale barn. At sixteen, Tiffany began working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and continued to work there for close to eight years. Her background in ranching and work at NRCS and helping on the family ranch, is what led to Tiffany's decision to study range science at South Dakota State University. Tiffany found her passion for teaching and began her teaching career at Dupree School. "I have poured my heart and soul into offering as much as I can to my students at Dupree."  Tiffany lives on a cow/calf operation ranch with her husband and son in Dupree, SD. The family enjoys taking care of their ranch, fishing, a good meal with friends, and a good card game of cribbage or pinochle. 

Veronica Reichert, Takini School & Timber Lake Schools

Veronica Reichert is a proactive woman who has made an impact on the people around her. Starting from youth.  Working the field of disability and mental health, she served as a director at the Center for Women and Teenagers for more than a decade. Her work involved helping teenagers and mothers in crisis situations. Veronica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work (nongovernmental organization management), from Cavendish University in Uganda and a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Mayville State University, North Dakota.  Math has always been Reichert's passion and she enjoys helping students grasp mathematical language and concepts.  Veronica is thankful that AISES gives her the opportunity to inspire and motivate young people in STEM education on the Cheyenne River Reservation where she lives with her husband and two children.

U.S. Department of Education