Collaborative Proposal: GP EXTRA: Field based professional development for Environmental-STEM (ESTEM) undergraduates

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Preparing a future workforce in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines is vital to the economic prosperity of our nation. In light of an aging geoscience workforce that exhibits a lack of ethnic diversity when compared with other STEM fields, the geoscience community must develop new models of mentorship for pre-career and early career personnel to build and sustain the skills, diversity, and size of the workforce. Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have recognized access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment in a variety of public and private sectors. The goal of this project is to engage a diverse cohort of Environmental-STEM (ESTEM) track undergraduates at 4-year colleges and universities (4YCUs) and community colleges (2YCs) in hands-on, career-applicable experiences that will launch students into the geoscience workforce.This project reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience to address the emergence of new "environmental" geoscience tracks at many 4YCUs. Faculty from the University of San Francisco, Mount San Antonio College, and the College of the Atlantic are working with environmental geoscience professionals from academia, public agencies, consulting, and non-profit organizations to identify key geoscience career skills and develop a "badge" system to recognize mastery of these skills. A summer field course and post-field seminar provides participating undergraduate students with opportunities to engage with stakeholders, learn and practice skills in the pursuit of earning badges. Further, this program is demonstrating the potential uses of a new technology (digital badges) for student assessment. Badges create space for dialog between students, faculty, and stakeholders and are adaptable and accessible by all students, not just those able or apt to participate in a given program. Badges also enable transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and employers, providing a new way for students to understand and market the skills, competencies, concepts, and learning outcomes (SCCLs) gained through environmental geoscience courses. Assessments are being used to ensure alignment of stakeholder-identified skills, badges, and field curriculum, and address the efficacy of the program in student retention in the geoscience pipeline. With a new model of field course that targets environmental geoscience students, engages stakeholders in the field, and unites a diverse group of learners through institutional collaboration, this program serves as a model for geoscience professional development at the undergraduate level. Lessons learned through this project are being made accessible to the wider community through webinars, workshops, and a project website.