OEDG: Sound Citizen Science Apprenticeship Program for Minority Youth (Track 1)

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Sound Citizen Apprenticeship Program is a pilot partnership between the University of Washington's School of Oceanography, the UW Institute for Science and Mathematics Education and two youth groups from South Seattle - Yboys and Passages Northwest. Sound Citizen will infuse geosciences research and mentorship experiences into existing out-of-school activities for first-generation immigrant, Latino and African American youth, ages 14-17, from urban neighborhoods in South Seattle. This locale includes an industrialized river that flows into the marine waters of Puget Sound. Youth identify locally relevant questions about terrestrial, riverine and marine chemistry and water quality, and investigate these in collaboration with UW scientists. They form relationships with scientists, undergraduate and graduate students, and community leaders; and learn about possible careers in the geosciences. Sound Citizen creates "science learning apprenticeships" where youth are mentored by UW scientists and local community members. With guidance from the project staff, apprentices identify research questions, and rally peers and adults from the community to help collect samples for environmental science research. Apprentices consolidate collected samples (and also collect them themselves), process them locally in a small sample processing "lab" at the partner organizations, and come to the university to discuss and interpret the results. Project activities are expected to directly reach 12-18 students per year and to indirectly reach 300+ community members through outreach activities.