Collaborative Research: GP-IMPACT: The Green Tech High School Academy: A Model Program of Combined Geoscience Field Learning, Classroom Instruction and Career Preparation

对于考虑是否攻读科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科的学位和职业的学生来说，高中和本科院校之间的过渡是一个特别重要的关键时刻。由于管理高中科学课程和毕业要求的州和地方政策，大多数高中生在选择未来的STEM职业之前没有正式接触过地球科学。因此，许多最终选择地球科学的学生都是偶然发现了这个领域，使地球科学成为大学里的“发现专业”。由于退休和高于平均水平的就业增长率，以及地球科学家在与能源生产、减轻自然灾害和基础设施建设相关的就业部门发挥的关键作用，未来几年预计需要约13.5万名地球科学家，因此需要更有针对性的方法来招聘地球科学专业的学生。此外，需要让传统上代表性不足的少数民族更多地参与STEM，以建立目前非常有限的地球科学劳动力的多样性。德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校正在为IUSE: GEOPATHS项目测试一种潜在的变化理论，即“用新颖的方式吸引更多的学生，让他们接触到真实的、与职业相关的地球科学经验，增加正式课程的学习，从而增加他们获得学位和在该领域从事职业的愿望。”为了验证这一理论，该项目正在调查合作开发和实施的以地球科学为重点的职业探索、学生指导、6-8天的实地考察和以地球科学为基础的课堂教学是否会影响学生对地球科学的归属感，并帮助他们过渡到本科地球科学专业。夏季指导实地计划是通过屡获殊荣的GeoFORCE计划提供的；课堂教学活动使用经过测试的教学方法和内容，这些方法和内容是由美国国家科学基金会先前对德克萨斯州地球科学多样性和创新（DIG Texas）和地球实验室项目的支持开发的。预计，归属感将导致获得地球科学学位和从事地球科学职业的愿望增加。这个为期三年的项目正在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校和密歇根州立大学杰克逊地球科学学院的地球科学教育工作者和研究人员、德克萨斯州奥斯汀独立学区阿金斯高中的教育工作者和管理人员以及石油和天然气公司DrillingInfo的地球科学家之间建立强有力的合作关系。活动正在进行中：(1)为阿金斯学院的管理人员和科学教师提供教育资源和专业发展，使他们能够在学校的绿色技术学院教授地球科学、环境系统、能源和自然资源；(2)开展教育研究，调查课堂和实地体验在培养学生对地球科学的归属感方面所起的作用，并预期对(a)地球科学知识、(b)对地球科学的态度、(c)高中地球科学和地球科学职业活动的参与产生同步影响。该项目以拥有大量少数族裔学生（84%为西班牙裔和非裔美国人）的阿金斯高中为重点，通过教育、模范教师培养和职业探索，有可能实现地球科学领域的更大多样性。

The transition between high school and undergraduate institutions is a particularly important critical juncture for students considering whether to pursue degrees and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. Due to state and local policies that govern high school science curriculum and graduation requirements, most high school students are not exposed formally to the geosciences prior to making choices about future careers in STEM. As a result, many of the students who do ultimately choose the geosciences have found this field through happenstance, making the geosciences a "discovery major" in college. With the anticipated need of ~135,000 geoscientists in the next several years, due to retirements and higher-than-average job growth rates, as well as the critical role that geoscientists play in the employment sectors related to energy production, natural hazards mitigation, and the infrastructure construction, more intentional approaches to recruiting students into the geosciences are needed. In addition, greater engagement of traditionally underrepresented minorities in STEM is needed to build diversity in the geosciences workforce, which is currently very limited. The University of Texas at Austin is testing the underlying theory of change for the IUSE: GEOPATHS program that "using novel ways of engaging a larger population of students and exposing them to authentic, career relevant geoscience experiences that augment the formal curriculum will increase their desire to earn degrees and pursue careers in the field." To test this theory, the project is investigating whether a collaboratively developed and implemented geoscience-focused program of career exploration, student mentoring, 6-8 days of field excursions, and evidence-based geoscience-infused classroom instruction will impact a students' sense of belonging in geoscience and help them transition into undergraduate geoscience programs. The summer mentored field program is offered through the award-winning GeoFORCE program; the classroom instruction activities are using tested pedagogical approaches and content developed with prior NSF support for the Diversity and Innovation for Geosciences in Texas (DIG Texas) and EarthLabs projects. It is expected that a sense of belonging will consequently lead to an increased desire to earn geoscience degrees and pursue geoscience careers. This three year project is establishing a robust collaboration between geoscience educators and researchers in the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT Austin and Michigan State University, educators and administrators at Akins High School in the Austin Independent School District in Texas, and geoscientists at DrillingInfo, an oil and gas firm. Activities are underway to (1) provide Akins administrators and science teachers with educational resources and professional development, allowing them to teach about geoscience, environmental systems, energy, and natural resources in the school's Green Tech Academy; and (2) conduct educational research to investigate the role that classroom and field experiences play in developing students' sense of belonging in geoscience, with anticipated simultaneous effects on (a) geoscience knowledge, (b) attitudes towards geoscience, and (c) engagement in geoscience and geoscience career activities in high school. By focusing on Akins High School, which has large a large minority (84 percent Hispanic and African American) student population, the project has the potential to achieve greater diversity in the geosciences through education, exemplary teacher preparation, and career exploration.