Thanks to the Cultural Evolution Society grant, this Applied Working Group (AWG) will actively work on issues that contemporary hunter-gatherer communities face in relation to their educational options. The project ran for 18 months, ending in September 2024.

The aim of the AWG was to promote better educational options for contemporary hunting and gathering societies. Although these groups themselves are often small, globally they make up an important group, representing a significant percentage of human cultural and linguistic diversity. Recent scientific findings support the argument that these groups have much to contribute to our search for more sustainable ways to live on this planet. What kind of education do such groups need and want access to? The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 promotes “Quality Education” – with the understanding that “education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty”. While this may be true in some cases, individuals from hunting and gathering societies are often faced with enormous barriers to participation in schools. Furthermore, even limited participation can undermine their own effective and relevant knowledge transmission strategies.

In this project, we worked with individuals from hunter-gatherer communities, educational policy-makers and practitioners, and other researchers, to promote more just, inclusive, and scientifically-informed approaches to education. We explored ways in which local schools can be made more inclusive and friendly for hunter-gatherer children. At the same time discussed ways in which their traditional practices might be useful for educational efforts on a global scale – for more just, sustainable, effective, and engaging education for all.