Discoveries in Hatteras: embedding sustainability thinking into community engagement

Summary

In 2015, University of Bristol students elected to join a sustainability education pilot project run in conjunction with the Croatoan Archaeology Society. The project was embedded into existing excavations at the early contact Native American site on Hatteras Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina. It focused on the larger environment, culture and ecosystems of the region and how they were affected by cultural exchange and the introduction of new technologies from the seventeenth century. Students designed and delivered a number of short interactive learning sessions for the local community and school children. The former was delivered within community engagement events co-organized by the students. The latter shaped University research learning for a younger audience, all within an archaeological context involving hands-on learning. Through learning, reflection and action, students became co-creators of their own learning. This project serves as an example of engaged research as it works with the potential users of the research, where local knowledge is valued and incorporated into academic research. By valuing local expertise and inviting participation, public engagement opportunities are enhanced. This paper will explain the three complimentary elements employed successfully within the sustainability education project: framing learning and reflection; sharing and engaging; and inviting knowledge.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage