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)提供资金的。通过沿海研究提高地球科学教育多样性方案，萨凡纳州立大学和斯基德韦海洋研究所将解决目前限制学生参与格鲁吉亚沿海多样化社区地球科学的两个问题。需要解决的问题是公立学校和HBCU(SSU)的学生缺乏接触地球科学的机会，以及人们认为地球科学与他们的生活缺乏相关性。在萨凡纳，由于佐治亚州缺乏六年级以上的必修地球科学课程，以及海洋和环境科学以外专业的SSU学生缺乏地球科学课程选择，对地球科学的正式学术接触有限。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州表现标准相关的实践课程；2)将高中生纳入SSU沿海监测小组和培训班；3)为SSU所有专业的学生开展环境和海洋生境情况介绍；4)在SSU为非理科专业的学生开设沿海问题课程。将通过以下方式扩大学生对地球科学与其生活和潜在职业的相关性的理解：1)发展沿海研究小组并让学生参与，这些小组将监测可能受到区域气候和经济因素影响的沿海环境参数；2)通过与当地不同的合作伙伴(包括研究、监管、商业、正式和非正式教育机构)合作提供的实习机会，扩大本科生对地球科学职业选择的了解和准备。参加这些活动的将是桃州LSAMP(PSLSAMP)的学生。佐治亚州沿海的生态系统健康程度相对较高，但面临着与工业用途和人口增长相关的更大负担。因此，沿海研究小组完成的监测除了实现社区参与的主要目标和增加地球科学家的多样性外，还将提供一个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，将创建一种超越教育、研究、管理和商业社区传统边界的模式。因此，这将是一种变革性的方法，不仅有助于增加地球科学的多样性，而且还有助于发展新的协同合作，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.