Collaborative Research: 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。 通过加强地球科学教育的多样性，通过海岸研究计划（EDGE）萨凡纳州立大学（SSU）和海洋学的斯基德韦研究所将解决两个问题，目前限制学生在地球科学在一个多样化的沿海格鲁吉亚社区的参与。 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和地球科学的相关性，他们的生活缺乏感知。 正式的学术接触地球科学是有限的，在萨凡纳由于缺乏所需的地球科学课程超过6年级在格鲁吉亚和地球科学课程选择的SSU学生在海洋和环境科学以外的专业缺乏。 这些问题将通过1）通过本科服务学习课程的要求，提供相关的实践经验教训，格鲁吉亚性能标准，2）高中学生列入SSU沿海监测队和培训课程，3）启动环境和海洋生境定向SSU所有专业的学生，和4）在SSU非科学专业的沿海问题课程的发展。 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以下方式扩大：1）发展和学生参与沿海研究团队，该团队将监测沿海环境参数，并可能受到区域气候和经济因素的影响，和2）通过与各种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理解和准备当地合作伙伴（包括研究、监管、商业、正规和非正规教育机构）。 这些活动的参与者将包括桃州LSAMP（PSLSAMP）的学生。沿海地区格鲁吉亚的生态系统健康程度相对较高，但面临着与工业使用和人口增长相关的负担增加。因此，除了实现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工作将提供关键的区域研究资源。EDGE计划通过利用和广泛参与沿海社区的专业知识和资源，将创建一个超越教育，研究，管理和商业社区传统界限的模式。因此，这将成为一种变革性的方法，不仅可以增加地球科学的多样性，而且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自我维持。

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.