Culture And Science Exchange (CASE) is a year-long mentorship program in which UW undergraduate Mentors join one of three teams partnering with the Yakama Nation, Quileute Tribe, or Makah Nation. CASE is grounded in reciprocity and the exchange of cultural and scientific knowledge, with UW students and partner communities learning from and teaching one another.
Through weekly team meetings, site visits, UW campus visits, STEAM Alternative Spring Break, and other community-specific programming, CASE Mentors build relationships with K-12 students, educators, and community partners while developing and facilitating culturally relevant & sustaining STEM learning experiences.
We are currently recruiting CASE-Quileute and CASE-Makah Mentors for 2026–2027. CASE-Yakama is not currently recruiting.
APPLY FOR CASE-QUILEUTE
APPLY FOR CASE-MAKAH
CASE Mentors will:
- Participate in weekly team meetings throughout the academic year to learn about the history and culture of their partner community, equitable educational practices, and culturally relevant & sustaining approaches to STEM education.
- Build authentic relationships with K–12 students, educators, and community partners while learning from and alongside them.
- Work collaboratively with their CASE team and community partners to co-create STEM lesson plans and hands-on activities.
- Travel to partner communities for site visits and facilitate programming
- Support UW campus visits that bring students from partner communities to the UW Seattle campus.
- Participate in STEAM Alternative Spring Break as part of the year-long CASE experience.
- Develop STEAM lesson plans that work to braid Indigenous ways of knowing and Western science.
- Support community-specific programming that may include an after-school iSTEAM club and/or mentorship of high school student interns.
Time Commitment: Academic year (autumn through spring), including weekly team meetings, periodic site visits and UW campus visits, and participation in STEAM Alternative Spring Break.
- Current UW undergraduate student.
- Ability to commit to CASE throughout the academic year (autumn through spring).
- Ability to participate in weekly team meetings and required program activities.
- Ability and willingness to travel periodically to the assigned partner community.
- Ability to participate in STEAM Alternative Spring Break.
- Willingness to learn from community partners and work collaboratively with K–12 students, educators, fellow CASE Mentors, Team Leaders, and Riverways staff.
- Reliable communication and participation throughout the academic year.
A strong CASE Mentor candidate demonstrates:
- Interest in building sustained relationships with rural and Tribal communities.
- Interest in STEM education, mentorship, teaching, or community engagement.
- Experience mentoring, teaching, facilitating, or working with young people.
- Willingness to learn about the history, culture, priorities, and knowledge systems of their partner community.
- Willingness to learn from community partners and work collaboratively.
- Strong communication, organization, teamwork, and group-facilitation skills.
- Interest in culturally relevant & sustaining educational practices and approaches that connect Indigenous ways of knowing and Western science.
You do not need to be pursuing a STEM major to serve as a CASE Mentor.
Compensation: CASE Mentors receive a quarterly stipend and an AmeriCorps education award.
Educational & Professional Benefits:
CASE Mentors gain hands-on experience mentoring K-12 students, developing and facilitating culturally relevant & sustaining STEM learning experiences, working collaboratively with Tribal community partners and educators, and strengthening skills in teaching, facilitation, teamwork, community engagement, and lesson development.
To apply for CASE-Quileute or CASE-Makah, complete the CASE Mentor application.
APPLY FOR CASE-QUILEUTE
APPLY FOR CASE-MAKAH
If selected for an interview, you will be asked to respond briefly to the following questions:
- Why are you interested in serving as a CASE Mentor?
- Please describe an experience mentoring, teaching, facilitating, working with young people, or engaging with a community. What did you learn from the experience?
- CASE is built around reciprocal partnerships with Tribal communities. What does learning from and working collaboratively with community partners mean to you?
- CASE Mentors co-develop culturally relevant & sustaining STEM learning experiences with their team and community partners. What interests you about this work, and what experiences or perspectives would you bring to it?
- CASE requires an academic-year commitment, weekly team meetings, periodic travel to partner communities, and participation in STEAM Alternative Spring Break. Does this fit with your current schedule and other commitments?
Questions about the CASE Mentor position can be directed to [email protected].
