BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND WESTERN SCIENCE: JR ACADEMY SETS SAIL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEOSCIENTISTS

The JOIDES Resolution is the U.S.-run scientific ocean drilling ship, in service for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP). During a transit from Naples to Amsterdam in April 2024, the JOIDES Resolution (JR) hosted the third JR Academy. This program provides opportunities for undergraduate students to live, work, and learn aboard the scientific ocean drilling vessel. During this year’s JR Academy, the U.S. Science Support program partnered with the Australia/New Zealand office of IODP (ANZIC) to create a program using STEAM and science communication to explore bridging Indigenous and Western sciences. Through workshops, lectures, and land-based field trips 16 students and mentors from the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand learned about geoscience and science communication, with plans to share their science and arts with their communities back home.

Members of the 2024 JR Cohort established connections to their ancestral waters, centering their own experiences to engage fully while sailing. Participants from across the world built connections by recognizing shared issues and challenges that this generation faces (drought, pollution, fracking, dams, etc.) in protecting these waters. Indigenous populations often act as the loudest champions in protecting the most valuable resource, water. Discussions held directly align with the mission of IODP and the JOIDES Resolution as paleoclimate research can aid in understanding and predicting future climate impacts on water resources. Outreach in schools, communities, and beyond through effective science communication is crucial in making sustainable change. The JR Academy cohort exemplifies and showcases the importance of diversity and representation within geoscience bringing different perspectives, ideas, and connections into critical conversations for finding solutions. Through the sense of belonging built through the diverse and welcoming environment of the JR, including the crew, scientists, and students, we ensure future generations of scientists can find a home in geoscience