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

高中和本科院校之间的过渡对学生来说是一个特别重要的关键时刻，他们正在考虑是否要攻读科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科的学位和职业。由于州和地方管理高中科学课程和毕业要求的政策，大多数高中生在选择未来的STEM职业之前，没有正式接触到地球科学。因此，许多最终选择地球科学的学生都是在偶然的情况下发现了这一领域，使地球科学成为大学里的一门“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中发挥的关键作用，预计未来几年需要大约135,000名地球科学家，因此需要采取更有针对性的方法来招收地学专业的学生。此外，需要传统上代表性不足的少数群体更多地参与STEM，以建立地球科学劳动力的多样性，目前地球科学劳动力非常有限。得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校正在为IUSE：GEOPATHS项目测试潜在的变化理论，该项目“使用新颖的方式让更多的学生参与进来，并让他们接触到真实的、与职业相关的地球科学经历，这些经验补充了正规课程，将增加他们在该领域获得学位和追求职业的愿望。”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天的实地考察和基于证据的地球科学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课程。暑期指导实地项目通过获奖的GeoFORCE项目提供；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为德克萨斯州地球科学多样性和创新项目(DIG Texas)和地球实验室项目开发的。预计归属感将导致获得地球科学学位和从事地球科学事业的愿望增加。这个为期三年的项目将在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校杰克逊地球科学学院和密歇根州立大学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Akins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。目前正在开展活动，以便(1)为AKINS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，预计将对(A)地球科学知识、(B)对地球科学的态度和(C)在高中参与地球科学和地球科学事业活动产生同步影响。通过将重点放在拥有大量少数族裔(84%的西班牙裔和非裔美国人)学生人口的阿金斯高中，该项目有可能通过教育、模范教师准备和职业探索在地球科学领域实现更大的多样性。

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.