Presentation Schedule
Prairie Pedagogy: Weaving Educational Connections Across Cultural and Ecological Landscapes (96202)
Session Chair: Kevin O'Connor
Thursday, 2 October 2025 17:05
Session: Session 3
Room: (1F) Sant Sebastià
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
At the University of Arkansas, the Prairie Pedagogy Research Group has transformed a 15-acre remnant tallgrass prairie and oak savannah—representing less than 0.03% of Northwest Arkansas's original ecosystem—into a vibrant cross-disciplinary learning laboratory. This presentation examines our collaboration between the School of Art, Biological Sciences, Office for Sustainability, and Indigenous knowledge holders that challenges conventional educational paradigms while preserving endangered biological and cultural heritage. Our work positions the arts as a vital bridge between scientific understanding and cultural knowledge. Through drawing, photography, sculpture, and video, students and community members develop intimate connections with prairie ecosystems that transcend conventional classroom experiences. Art becomes both methodology and outcome—a way of knowing the prairie and expressing its significance. We'll share our process of creating Living/Learning Land Connection workshops, including how artistic practices create accessible entry points for diverse participants to engage with both botanical knowledge and Indigenous perspectives. We'll discuss our process of building relationships with tribal partners (Caddo, Quawpaw, and Osage) and how decision-making structures lead by a majority Indigenous team (Lakota, Cherokee, Shawnee) ensure cultural protocols guiding creative expression while fostering authentic representation. While comprehensive assessment is ongoing, we'll share examples of prairie-inspired artwork alongside practical frameworks for arts-based environmental education. By integrating artistic exploration with scientific inquiry and Indigenous land ethics, Prairie Pedagogy offers a transformative model for addressing complex challenges through interconnected ways of knowing and creating.
Authors:
Jean Schmitt, University of Arkansas, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Jean Schmitt is an assistant professor in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-schmitt-592984218/
See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule
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