Cody Cly
2024 Seed Grant Awardee
Project Description
Navajo Astronomy Professional Development
Navajo Astronomy Professional Development aims to empower educators on the Navajo Nation by providing culturally relevant astronomy lesson plans that blend Diné teachings with modern science. In collaboration with NASA's Native Earth | Native Sky project and NASA Astrobiology Program, the project introduces tools such as the Observing with NASA website, Navajo astronomy books, and classroom resources like posters and educational guides.
The project will host two workshops—one in Arizona and one in New Mexico—with up to 50 instructors at each event. Participants will gain knowledge of both scientific and cultural perspectives on astronomy, using resources such as Sharing the Night Skies: Navajo Astronomy and the Diné Universe Poster. Workshops will also include storytelling sessions led by Navajo elders, fostering connections between traditional knowledge and STEM education. The overarching goal is to inspire Native American students to explore careers in astronomy and space science while strengthening their cultural identity.
Target Audience Age
| 0-4 | 5-10 | 11-14 | 14-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-99 |
NASA Division
Astrophysics
Grant Status
Learning Context
Digital Learning
Neighborhood /
Community
Informal /
Out of School
Home / Family
Citizen Science
Formal Education
SME Bio
I hope these workshops will help my community blend Western sciences with Indigenous knowledge, inspiring future generations to explore careers in space science and contribute to NASA's diverse workforce.
Cody Cly
Navajo Astronomy Professional Development PI
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas at San Antonio
Astronomy, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, STEM Education
Cody Pat Cly is a PhD candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research focuses on the astronomical applications of aluminum oxides, particularly creating different polymorphs and studying their thermal and optical properties to compare dust around asymptotic giant branch stars. Cody has received a FINESST award for his research and actively engages in outreach, representing the Navajo community at events like the AAS Eclipse Task Force meeting and discussing Indigenous perspectives on eclipses with the San Antonio community.
SciAct Team
Native Earth | Native Sky Description
The Native Earth | Native Sky (NENS) program aims to increase the understanding of and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields for middle school students in the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations by developing holistic curriculum that interweaves Native American stories and language with STEM principles. Lessons will be combined with art, culture and social studies to celebrate each nation's unique heritage.
I'm most excited about this collaboration because it will provide another mechanism to get teacher professional development workshops out to Native Nations and their teachers. Within NENS, we currently focus on the Native Nations of Oklahoma, but this seed grant allows us to extend our reach to Navajo Nation and southwestern US.