Reflection: Next Steps

Meeting with the Tausug leaders of the Muslim Village was an extremely impactful experience. Though this was not originally on our agenda, the insight that this lent me into the history and culture of the Mindanao Islands shaped my experience of the region.

Despite the hardships faced by this community due to capitalism, American expansionism, and climate-driven natural disasters, our group received the warmest of welcomes to the Muslim Village. With only hours to prepare, an entire panel of community members took the time to sit down with us and discuss the history of Islam in the Philippines, the impact of colonialism, and indigenous conservation practices over an incredible Filipino merienda.

Throughout this time, my mind went to discussions I had had with students at Philippine Science High School (PSHS). Almost every student research project aims to address some aspect of environmentalism. Many focused on sustainable energy while others developed endemic conservation practices and targeted reducing environmental contamination. Across the board, every student expressed a deep concern over the corruption and environmental deterioration of their country. In discussion with PSHS students and Tausug leaders, I learned about the rampant deforestation, biodiversity loss, and pollution exacerbated by US mining companies and data centers across the Philippines.

This understanding was further bolstered by our visit to the Philippine Eagle Center. Though I love raptors from my own experiences in the outdoors, I rarely have the opportunity to learn about the issues faced by all major raptor groups. It was enlightening to learn about the conservation efforts and breeding program supported by the Center but disturbing to discover the environmental and human factors necessitating this work.

Each experience developed my deep curiosity about the impacts of climate change and the indigenous practices that have evolved over thousands of years to address such issues. I wondered how these ideas are taught to future generations and how environmental sensemaking is facilitated in young people. I left curious about how we can embed these indigenous environmental teaching practices into our own pedagogies, especially considering the pressing need to address the natural issues impacting the globe.

I hope to continue this research by applying for subsequent grants such as the Fulbright Specialist Program and Fund for Teachers. By embedding this work into my own teaching practice and the various mentorship programs in which I work, I hope to further develop my holistic science teaching pedagogy. To address the pressing environmental issues in our modern world, we must learn from each other and encourage multilingual youth to engage with science with the critical consciousness and literacy that enables them to become changemakers in their communities.