ED21D-01 08:00h
Post-Secondary Education and Diversity in the Geosciences: The Need for Innovative Courses and Curricula
Enrollments in bachelor's-level degree programs in the geosciences are decreasing nationwide. It seems clear that it will be difficult to reverse this falling trend by teaching the `same old' content in the `same old' way. Innovative geoscience instructors are already revising both content and pedagogy, particularly for introductory-level courses that reach large audiences of potential geoscience majors. As these courses are updated, it is critical that practices contributing to increased diversity in the geosciences are incorporated. The geosciences currently have the lowest diversity of any of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In 2001, the most recent year for which data are available, ethnic and racial groups that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines made up approximately 25 percent of the population of the United States. In contrast, only 7 percent of the bachelor's, 5 percent of the master's, and 2 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded in the geosciences in 2001 went to members of underrepresented groups. The fact that diversity decreases less rapidly with increasing degree level (e.g. from B.S. to M.S.) in the geosciences than in other STEM disciplines indicates that the geosciences are of interest to members of underrepresented groups. Mechanisms that have been shown to be effective at increasing diversity in the geosciences (as well as total enrollment in bachelor's-level geoscience programs) are to: 1) demonstrate that the geosciences are relevant to technologically savvy, increasingly urban students; 2) engage students in research; 3) build partnerships between universities, community colleges, K-12 teachers, and guidance counselors, families, and communities to address pipeline issues; 4) promote mentoring relationships among scientists, educators, and students; 5) provide financial support to facilitate participation in the geosciences among all members of the diverse U.S. population; and 6) publicize traditional and non-traditional geoscience career opportunities.
ED21D-02 08:15h
Developing Short-Term Indicators of Recruitment and Retention in the Geosciences
The NSF Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) program awards grants to projects that are intended to increase participation in geoscience careers by members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences. OEDG grantee projects use a variety of strategies intended to influence the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of underrepresented students at levels from K-12 to graduate school. The ultimate criterion for assessing the success of a project is the number of underrepresented minority students who become geoscientists (and who would not have otherwise become geoscientists). For most projects this criterion can only be observed in the distant future. In order to develop shorter-term indicators of program success, researchers at AIR developed a conceptual framework based on a review of the literature and discussion with geoscientists. This model allowed us to identify an extensive, but not fully comprehensive, set of indicators. There are undoubtedly other potential indicators of recruitment and retention in the geosciences. The research literature reviewed was a general literature, dealing with science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) college major or career choice by individuals who are underrepresented group members, so the model is based on indicators of retention in a general STEM career path rather than a specific geoscience path. Nonetheless, it is our belief that retention in STEM is critical for retention in geoscience. In the past year, AIR staff have conducted a critical incident study to further refine this model. This study focused on factors unique to the geosciences. The goal was to learn about behaviors that encouraged or discouraged someone from becoming a geoscientist, where individual behaviors are termed as "incidents." The preliminary data, the impact of this pilot study on the model, and the revised model will be presented. Some examples of behaviors our study found that seem to affect an individual's decision on becoming a geoscientist include: parental support, exposure to geoscience classes, experience in the outdoors, experiencing extraordinary geosciences events, taking introductory geosciences course, accessibility of geoscience faculty, and participation in informal interactions and social activities in a geoscience department.
ED21D-03 08:30h
Strategies for Broadening Participation in the Geosciences: Lessons Learned From the UCAR-SOARS$^{r}$ Program
Broadening participation in the geosciences will advance our research, enhance our education and training, and improve our ability to meet societal needs. By attracting more diverse students, we will be better postioned to provide all our students the increasingly necessary and relevant experience of working in diverse teams. Because some traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly Latinos & Hispanics, are growing much faster than the population as a whole, broader participation will enlarge the pool of talented individuals contributing to the next generation of research. Finally the geosciences will be more effective and credible when the diversity of our nation is reflected in our workforce, especially as civic discourse includes more and more complex decisions about society's interactions with the Earth and its resources. The Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) seeks to broaden participation in geosciences by helping undergraduate students successfully transition to graduate programs in the atmospheric and related sciences. SOARS combines multiple research experiences, multifaceted mentoring, an encouraging community, and financial support to help students enter and succeed in graduate school. A central feature of the SOARS program is a ten-week summer immersion program in which Protägäs (SOARS participants) conduct scientific research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) or at laboratories of SOARS sponsors. During this summer research experience, SOARS Protägäs are supported by up to four mentors: a science research mentor, a writing mentor, a community mentor, and a peer mentor. SOARS Protägäs collaborate with their mentors to perform original research, prepare scientific papers, and present their research at a colloquium. SOARS also provides extensive leadership and communication training; support for conference presentations and for graduate school; and a strong scholarly community that develops from the critical mass of Protägäs living and working together in Boulder. Over the program's nine years, 90 Protägäs have participated in the SOARS. Twenty-nine Protägäs have completed their masters' degrees and one has successfully defended her PhD. Thirty-three SOARS Protägäs are enrolled in graduate programs in an atmospheric or related science. Twenty-three are enrolled in master's programs, and 10 are pursuing doctoral degrees. Sixteen Protägäs are currently in the professional scientific or engineering workforce. SOARS Protägäs have delivered over 100 posters or presentations at national or regional conferences. SOARS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2001 SOARS strategies can be offered for consideration by institutions seeking to develop their own programs to broaden participation. We will also report on an independent review of SOARS that will highlight other programmatic features that contribute to program success. Preliminary results suggest several key practices that include: UCARs institutional commitment to inclusiveness; personal attention to the needs of each student; opportunities for student peer interaction; and continuous program monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment.
http://www.ucar.edu/soars
ED21D-04 08:45h
Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) Initiative's Professional Development Program
The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) initiative was developed by and for underrepresented minorities with the overall purpose of facilitating our increased participation in Earth system science. The initiative was established with a goal of providing professional development experiences and mentoring opportunities that facilitate the advancement of minorities committed to achieving outstanding Earth system science careers. The 2003 MS PHD'S in Ocean Sciences Program facilitated activities that supported meaningful engagement of 25 student participants at the final Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Open Science Meeting, entitled 'A Sea of Change: JGOFS Accomplishments and the Future of Ocean Biogeochemistry.' During the 2004 AGU fall meeting, the MS PHD'S initiative will undertake Phase I of its newest endeavor, entitled the MS PHD'S Professional Development Program (MS PHD'S PDP). Phase I includes student participant and mentor orientations, initial mentor-mentee partners' interactions, networking, professional development, broad Earth system science and engineering exposure, a tour of NASA Ames Research Center facilities tour and MS PHD'S community building activities. In 2005, Phase II will enable student participants to student receive additional Earth system science and engineering exposure, mentor-mentee interaction and networking at one of five MS PHD'S professional society partners' meetings. Each MS PHD'S PDP participant will attend the meeting that most closely aligns with his or her specific academic interests. The third and final phase of the MS PHD'S PDP will be hosted by The National Academies' Ocean Studies Board in Washington, D.C. During Phase III participants will engage in brownbag discussions, government agency visits, and dialogues with professional society and foundation representatives. In addition to these Phase III activities, while in Washington, D.C. students will receive \$1,000.00 scholarships, tour of NASA Ames Goddard Space Flight Center facilities and participate in an Ecological Society of America-organized urban watershed field trip of the surrounding area. Students who successfully complete all three phases of the MS PHD'S PDP will be better prepared to achieve their academic and professional goals. As a result of mentor-mentee partnerships, science exposure, and networking activities, these individuals will likely remain actively engaged in their fields of specialization and respective professional societies.
http://www.msphds.usf.edu/
ED21D-05 09:00h
Can Participation in a Summer Program Significantly Increase Interest in Geoscience Among Hispanic High School Students?: A Quantitative Assessment
Since the summer of 2002, the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso has run five sessions of a two-week long summer camp design to introduce high school juniors and seniors, and teachers to the geosciences, a discipline that is largely omitted from the high school science curriculum in Texas. Among the desired outcomes of the activity are 1) an increased interest in geoscience on the part of the students, and 2) an increased likelihood that students will major in science, preferably geoscience, or engineering in college. Thus far, 72 students, of whom 77% were Hispanic and 55% were female, and 14 science teachers, of whom 71% were Hispanic and 43% were female, have participated in the camp. Students were selected from an applicant pool that was 3 to 4 times larger than number of available slots on the basis of their GPA, interest in science as demonstrated in an essay, and teacher recommendations. To assess whether participation in camp activities lead to statistically significant changes in student attitudes toward science and in particular to the geosciences, pre- and post- participation surveys were administered (at the beginning and at the end of the camp). The surveys were designed to measure attitudes that serve as indicators of retention in the geosciences career pipeline. Students were asked the extent to which they agreed with several statements regarding the geosciences. These responses were coded by assigning numerical values for each one (i.e., 4 = Strongly agree, 3 = agree, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree). There were statistically significant positive changes in the students' attitudes toward the geosciences after their participation in the camp. For example, in response to the statement "The geosciences are interesting," the mean value for student responses was 3.1 (N = 27, SD = .4) before their participation in the camp. After participating, their mean response to this item was significantly higher (M = 3.4, SD = 0.5), t(26) = -2.60, p = .015 (two-tailed). Implications of survey results regarding the likelihood that students will choose to major in science or geosciences in the future will also be discussed.
ED21D-06 09:15h
Building Successful Programs to Increase Diversity in the Geosciences Through HBCU/Research Center Collaborations: Lessons to Enhance Rates of Participation Nationally
In view of changing demography of the U.S. and the world, it is important that all groups be involved in sustaining and enhancing the vitality and importance of the geosciences. Though Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) enroll only 13% of the African Americans who are in college, they award 40% of the science degrees earned by African Americans in the U.S. However, relatively few HBCUs have geoscience programs and faculty who provide exposure, curricula or research opportunities for students to explore options in earth, atmospheric or ocean sciences on their campuses. There is not enough exposure to geosciences at HBCUs. Non-degree granting research institutes and centers have as their primary mission research and compete successfully with research universities for federal and state research funding. However, these institutions lack experience, expertise, and access/visibility to African American students. There are not enough programs at research centers to attract African Americans. Through collaboration with research institutions, Savannah State University (SSU), an HBCU founded in 1890 in Savannah, Georgia, has built successful marine science undergraduate and graduate programs. Since 1999, SSU and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO, a research center founded in 1968) have formally collaborated to join their respective strengths with the goal of providing SSU students expanded undergraduate and graduate curricular offerings and unique research opportunities. The objective is to enhance student motivation and skills to compete successfully for graduate school admission and jobs in the geosciences. At the core is hands-on experiential learning and improved access to leaders in the field. Students report that the opportunity to conduct research, to meet eminent scientists, and to attend national and international scientific conferences provides them with the training, opportunity, motivation, and confidence to pursue advanced degrees and to become the eminent scientists and leaders themselves. Increasing the number and size of geoscience programs at HBCUs and research focused internship/fellowship programs at research centers is likely to pay big dividends in increasing diversity in geoscience professions.
ED21D-07 09:30h
Early Entry for Youth into the Ocean Science Pipeline Through Ocean Science School Camp and Summer Camp Programs: A Key Strategy for Enhancing Diversity in the Ocean Sciences
Educators, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders in ocean and other geo-science fields face the continuing challenge of a lack of diversity in these fields. A particular challenge for educators and geo-science professionals promoting ocean sciences is to create programs that have broad access, including access for underrepresented youth. Experiential learning in environments such as intensive multi-day science and summer camps can be a critical captivator and motivator for young people. Our data suggest that youth, especially underrepresented youth, may benefit from exposure to the oceans and ocean science through intensive, sustained (eg more than just an afternoon), hands-on, science-based experiences. Data from the more than 570 youth who have participated in Camp SEA Lab's academically based experiential ocean science camp and summer programs provide compelling evidence for the importance of such programs in motivating young people. We have paid special attention to factors that might play a role in recruiting and retaining these young people in ocean science fields. Over 50% of program attendees were underrepresented youth and on scholarship, which gives us a closer look at the impact of such programs on youth who would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate. Both cognitive (knowledge) and affective (personal growth and motivation) indicators were assessed through surveys and questionnaires. Major themes drawn from the data for knowledge growth and personal growth in Camp SEA Lab youth attendees will be presented. These will be placed into the larger context of critical factors that enhance recruitment and retention in the geo-science pipeline. Successful strategies and challenges for involving families and broadening access to specialized programs such as Camp SEA Lab will also be discussed.
ED21D-08 09:45h
Payoffs and Pitfalls of a Minority Outreach Program: An Alaskan Example
The Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) is a summer bridging program for college-bound high school students from remote Alaskan communities. In the 20+ years since its initiation, more than 50% of RAHI graduates eventually obtained post-secondary degrees. The success of the RAHI program provides insights into how an outreach program can achieve its goals and avoid potential pitfalls. Instrumental to the success of the RAHI program are: longevity; small size (40-45 students per summer); support from the Alaska Native community; academic rigor; aggressive recruiting; establishment of a sense of community amongst participants; and individual mentoring and support. Potential pitfalls include: overextending the program to include too many students; failure to maintain academic rigor in all courses; recruitment of students and staff who do not embrace the program's methods and goals; and attempts to evaluate the program on the basis of short-term results. Alaska Natives in Geosciences introduces college-bound Alaska Native students to the geosciences by teaching a college-level introductory geoscience class as a RAHI elective. By collaborating with RAHI, Alaska Natives in Geosciences takes advantage of RAHI's effective recruitment efforts and proven mentoring program. However, maintaining scientific rigor has been difficult due to large differences in the students' scientific backgrounds, the demands of other courses in the RAHI program and the brevity of the summer session. Immediate post-course survey responses suggest that many RAHI students thought the geoscience class was interesting but too difficult and much too time-consuming. However, surveys of RAHI geoscience students a year later suggest that many found the course a very positive experience. An unanticipated result was that RAHI students who did not take the class also gained some insight into the geosciences.