NAFWS is dedicated to disseminating information to Native youth and early professionals that is directly related to natural resources and the STEM fields.
Educational Resources
If you have an opportunity and/or resources related to natural resources for Native youth (ages 5 – 25) and/or early professionals (1 – 5 years into career) and would like to share on our website. Please submit the form below, we will do our best to post and update frequently.
Scholarships & Funding
- The Gates Scholarship
- The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential. (excerpt from thegatesscholarship.org)
- Deadline: September 15, 2023
- American Indian College Fund
- AICF invests in Native students and Tribal college education to transform lives and communities. The College Fund and its supporters uphold the promise and importance of educational success for Native people and all of our futures. (excerpt from collegefund.org)
- Native Forward Scholars Fund
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- NFSF provides scholarships and support to services to undergraduate, graduates and professionals.
- Cobell Scholarship
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- Cobell Scholarships offers are merit-based following a lengthy application and referral process. Cobell Scholarship awards are disbursed according to US Federal Student Aid standards and the policies of the individual colleges and universities. The Cobell Scholarship is annual, non-renewable, and available to any post-secondary (after high school) student who is: an enrolled member of a US Federally-recognized Tribe, enrolled in or plans to enroll in full-time study and is degree-seeking while attending any nationally, regionally and industry accredited non-profit, public and private, institution. (excerpt from cobellscholasr.org)
Programs
- Bureau of Indian Affairs Pathways Program
- The BIA Pathways Internship Program connects Native American and Alaska Native students to paid internships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal Nations across the United States. (Excerpt from BIA.gov)
- For inquiries and more info, please email otspathways@bia.gov
- 2023 BIA Pathways Flier
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Directorate Fellows Program
DFP is a Direct Hire Authority Program that includes an 11-week Fellowship project for current students at the rising senior undergraduate or graduate school level. Upon successful completion of the Fellowship program, along with degree, participants may be directly hired or appointed to full-time, permanent positions without competition.- For inquiries on the 2023 DFP, email connect@fws.gov
- Student Conservation Association: High School Conservation Crews
High schoolers aged 16 – 19 years old, community crews available in multiple cities across the US
- Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC)
The mission of the Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC) is to develop future conservation leaders with the skills, knowledge, and tools to address environmental change and conservation challenges to better serve their schools and home communities.
- National Conservation Leadership Institute
The Institute is designed to be a meta-program into which graduates of various internal organizational leadership programs could pursue expanding their leadership capacity. But the Institute is by no measure only a training program; it is a unique comprehensive learning experience designed to challenge assumptions, teach skills, facilitate networking, and strengthen confidence, preparing extraordinary leadership for the future.
- Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
Is to effect a systemic change in the hiring patterns of Indigenous Americans in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by increasing the number of individuals on a career path to leadership within STEM fields.
Professional & Youth Organizations
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American Indian Science & Engineering Society
The AISES mission is to increase substantially the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in engineering, science and other related technology disciplines. - SACNAS
The SACNAS mission is to celebrate and cultivate diversity in STEM Education and Fields. -
Center for Native American Youth
The Center for Native American Youth is dedicated to improving the health, safety and overall well-being of Native American youth through communication, policy development and advocacy. - United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY)
UNITY’s Mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native youth, and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement. - Environmental Career
- The Environmental Career Center provides employers and job seekers with comprehensive career, and staffing services in the environmental, sustainability, natural resources, energy, and green jobs sectors.
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Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
As a professional organization for environmental educators, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) facilitates communication, cooperation, collaboration, and coordination among the varied environmental education programs in the state.
External Announcements & Opportunities
Internship: Indigenous Knowledge Liaison
Position Details:
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska Office of Communications are seeking an intern who will help elevate Indigenous voices as part of a communications campaign (#AllTheFish). Components of the campaign include a podcast “Fish of the Week!”, written stories, and a cookbook (to be both online and hardcopy). The intern will also be supported to interact with FWS staff working on co-stewardship fish habitat restoration projects with staff, as well as our Alaska Native Liaisons and other Indigenous Knowledge Liaisons. This position is open until filled
Internship: Fish Health Biological Technician
Position Details: Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Warm Springs Fish Health Center are seeking an intern who will work at the Fish Health Center located in Warm Springs, GA. The individual would work with fish health staff to conduct hatchery inspections, diagnostic testing, and complete day to day tasks in the laboratory. The intern will have the opportunity to travel to multiple Federal, State and Tribal fish hatcheries within the southeast region to preform annual hatchery inspections. Daily work would include becoming familiar with cell culture/virology, bacteriology, parasite identification/isolation, sampling/wild fish survey, triploid grass carp certifications, and ploidy testing.