The Native Food, Energy, Water Systems (FEWS) Certificate Reflection

Today
By LaCher Pacheco and Timberly Roane
Native FEWS Certificate

The Native Food, Energy, Water Systems (FEWS) Non-credit Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) Certificate has helped LaCher engage in topics focused on Food, Energy and Water in tribal communities.

As a FEWS certificate participant, LaCher is hoping to increase her knowledge in FEWS education and careers. She hopes to help non Native educators in finding children’s picture books about Native American Food, Energy, and Water Systems (FEWS) topics so students can address critical challenges facing their communities. One such critical issue is climate change and severe weather changes like higher temperatures in climate. Tucson just had its first 100-degree day in April, which has never happened before.

The Native FEWS Certificate offers continuing and professional education credits that can be used for job qualifications and additional educational opportunities.  A shared educational opportunity offered through the Native FEWS Alliance (https://nativefewsalliance.org/), the certificate, administered through the University of Colorado Denver, offers a transcript and documentation of completion that can be applied toward job qualifications, graduate programming, and other types of career advancement. The Certificate is placed-based, so participants can stay in their home community, and offers both in-person local-to-the-student and online experiences that can include coursework, internships, seminars, and workshops.  The Certificate offers participants the chance to earn micro credentials as they navigate their way toward earning the full certificate. Timberly Roane is the contact person and she is patient and helpful. Timberly has become LaCher’s mentor. The check-in meetings are helpful, and it feels good to celebrate my achievements with Timberly. LaCher is working on completing research hours in the five micro-credential areas below 

  • Tribal Governance & Non-Tribal Relations
  • Cultural Engagement & Participatory Decision-Making
  • Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness & Positionality
  • Communication, Mediation, Negotiation, & Conflict Resolution
  • FEWS Liaison Focus Area (writing, presenting, research methodologies)

These micro-credentials have helped LaCher in narrowing down her dissertation topic. The program is available to any individual, including community members and students enrolled in any college or university. It is estimated that each micro-credential can be completed within 1-2 semesters, and multiple micro-credentials can be completed at the same time. If you are interested in applying, here is the link to the certificate:  Native Food, Energy, Water Systems Noncredit Certificate | CU Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

If you have any questions, please contact the NFEWS certificate email at NativeFEWS@ucdenver.edu.