I recently ran a nearly 10-week workshop on applied anthropology methods with eight ambitious high school students (15–17 years of age). They worked on individual projects. The curriculum, which I developed, was to include the following requirements:

introduction to the discipline
conducting individual literature reviews
teaching field and data management ethics
researching method selection
developing interview and survey questions
evaluating best interview practices
performing qualitative data analysis
finalizing a presentation.

Looking back, I made some obvious errors. First, I tried to cover too much material in a workshop. The breadth of topics was too expansive even for an undergraduate course. Also, an open classroom philosophy prevailed in the institution and students were not required to attend class or deliver their presentations to me.

Second, these students were new to anthropology and I was new to teaching high schoolers. I found it difficult to know where to begin and how to proceed. Although I found some success in collaborating one-on-one with students and in offering personalized guidance, group learning was even more challenging. Student projects were quite varied—from designing board games to health apps mapping individuals’ genomes. When my default of lecturing from slide decks resulted in blank stares, I began featuring a student project during each class; this approach worked much better.

My workshop successfully taught students how to develop research questions. By exposing high school students to these methods, I was able to advertise the modern relevance of our discipline and introduce them to the importance of empathy, integrity, respect, and ethical practice. During this experience, I learned that teaching the basics of research skills in high school is highly rewarding because it involves hands-on learning. The students began to grasp the workshop techniques and develop curiosity about values and beliefs.

My “aha” moment came as I realized that anthropology pedagogy needs reimagining to engage students. Undergraduate education in anthropology typically focuses on training students in traditional anthropology, which is largely centered around learning the history of the discipline, reading ethnographies, and absorbing theory. Only later, if at all, are students exposed to methods. The majority of anthropology grad programs remain academically oriented and often abstain from exposing students to modern research methods and relevance to the workplace. (In graduate programs with an applied orientation, students do get substantive training in applied research methods while becoming increasingly specialized in their areas of interest.)

We need to flip the script. Far greater coverage of modern methods will engage students better, help them develop methodological skills sooner, and prepare them to enter the workforce confident in using those skills. This suggested change does not mean abandoning theory or ethnography studies; it means adding an emphasis on methods in the education of young anthropologists. The benefits include proficiency in a variety of research methods while also maintaining a foundation of theory, exploring topics of interest (e.g., designing board games, to AI health apps), entering the workforce earlier, and curating an understanding of how anthropology is relevant to the next generation.

Initiatives like this high school workshop helped me to see what this potential future for anthropological training could look like. As anthropology enrollment stagnates or declines and programs are at risk of closure, the future of our discipline is at a crossroads. We are being overlooked by the younger generation. The question is: What do we plan to do about it?

Based on my experience, I recommend these guiding principles:

Ignite student curiosity, encouraging them to explore human cultures. Fostering a sense of wonder about human behavior is essential. Educators can encourage students to explore the diverse ways people live, work, and create meaning. After all, that is how our discipline began.
Emphasize practical observation techniques and ethical research practices. Instead of drowning students in theoretical jargon and thick description, teach methodological skills that allow students of any discipline to understand and engage with their community respectfully—a core value of our discipline.
Empower students to apply their knowledge of anthropology to their own life experiences. Encourage ethical inquiry to discover and solve the problems of other humans which helps ensure anthropology will thrive in the modern age.
Equip anthropology students to become the torchbearers of our field, exploring uncharted territories and further defining the role of anthropology in diverse careers.
Acknowledge the value of both theory and method—that theory and methodological skills taken together matter, making us effective problem solvers.
Teach anthropology so that all students understand its usefulness and relevance in their future workplaces. When students learn to think anthropologically, they become better problem-solvers, communicators, and global citizens while shaping a more compassionate and culturally aware world.

The post How can high school students cultivate curiosity and find applied anthropology relevant? appeared first on The Anthropology Career Readiness Network.