Collaborative Project: Enhancing Diversity in Geoscience Education through Coastal Research in a Port City (EDGE) - Track 2

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。萨凡纳州立大学（SSU）和斯基德威海洋学研究所将通过海岸研究计划（EDGE）加强地球科学教育的多样性，解决目前限制学生在佐治亚州多样化沿海社区参与地球科学的两个问题。需要解决的问题是公立学校和HBCU （SSU）学生缺乏对地球科学的接触，以及地球科学与他们生活缺乏相关性。在萨凡纳，正式的地球科学学术接触是有限的，因为格鲁吉亚六年级以上的地球科学课程缺乏必修课程，而且除了海洋和环境科学专业之外，SSU学生的地球科学课程选择也很少。这些问题将通过以下方式解决：1)通过本科服务学习课程要求提供与佐治亚绩效标准相关的实践课程；2)将高中生纳入SSU海岸监测小组和培训课程；3)为SSU所有专业的学生开设环境和海洋栖息地指导课程；4)为SSU非科学专业的学生开设海岸问题课程。学生对地球科学与他们的生活和潜在职业的相关性的理解将通过1)发展和学生参与海岸研究小组，这些小组将监测可能受区域气候和经济因素影响的沿海环境参数；2)通过与不同的当地合作伙伴（包括研究、监管、商业、正规和非正规教育机构）合作提供实习机会，扩大本科生对地球科学职业选择的理解和准备。这些活动的参与者将包括桃州LSAMP （PSLSAMP）的学生。格鲁吉亚沿海的生态系统健康状况相对较高，但面临着与工业使用和人口增长相关的日益增加的负担。因此，除了满足社区参与和增加地球科学家多样性的主要目标外，沿海研究小组完成的监测将提供重要的区域研究资源。EDGE项目通过利用和广泛利用沿海社区的专业知识和资源，将创造一种超越教育、研究、管理和商业社区传统界限的模式。因此，这将是一种变革性的方法，不仅可以增加地球科学的多样性，还可以发展新的协同合作，帮助沿海社区适应气候和经济变化并维持自身。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Through the Enhancing Diversity in Geoscience Education through Coastal Research Program (EDGE) Savannah State University (SSU) and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography will address two issues which currently limit engagement of students in the geosciences in a diverse coastal Georgia community. The issues to be addressed are a lack of exposure of public school and HBCU (SSU) students to the geosciences and a perceived lack of relevance of geosciences to their lives. Formal academic exposure to the geosciences is limited in Savannah due to lack of required earth science coursework beyond 6th grade in Georgia and a paucity of geoscience course options for SSU students in majors beyond the marine and environmental sciences. These problems will be addressed through 1) delivery of hands-on lessons relevant to Georgia Performance Standards through undergraduate service learning course requirements, 2) inclusion of high school students in SSU coastal monitoring teams and training sessions, 3) initiation of an Environmental and Ocean Habitat Orientation for SSU students of all majors, and 4) development of a Coastal Issues course for non-science majors at SSU. Student understanding of the relevance of geoscience to their lives and potential careers will be broadened through 1) development of and student participation in Coastal Research Teams which will monitor coastal environmental parameters with the potential to be influenced by regional climate and economic factors, and 2) expansion of undergraduate understanding of and preparedness for geoscience career options through internships offered in cooperation with diverse local partners (including research, regulatory, commercial, formal and informal educational institutions). Included among the participants in these activities will be Peach State LSAMP (PSLSAMP) students. Coastal Georgia's ecosystem health is relatively high but faces increased burdens associated with industrial use and population growth. The monitoring completed by Coastal Research Teams will therefore provide a critical regional research resource, in addition to meeting the primary goals of community engagement and increasing the diversity of geoscientists. The EDGE program, by leveraging and broadly engaging the expertise and resources of a coastal community, will create a model transcending the traditional boundaries of the education, research, management, and commercial community. This will therefore serve as a transformative approach not only for increasing diversity in the geosciences, but also for developing new synergistic collaborations to help coastal communities adapt to climatic and economic changes and sustain themselves.