Collaborative Research: GP-EXTRA: Geo-Launchpad: Preparing Colorado Community College Students for Geoscience-Focused Careers

Front Range Community College（FRCC）和UNAVCO是一个非营利研究机构，运营着NSF支持的大地测量学推进地球科学和地球镜（GAGE）设施，正在合作开展一个整体项目，以吸引和留住科罗拉多州的社区学院学生进行地球科学教育和职业道路。美国地球科学研究所2014年劳动力报告预测，到2022年，地球科学家的劳动力短缺约为13.5万人。越来越多的学生开始在社区学院的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学科的本科生涯，使两年制和四年制本科院校之间的过渡成为确保学生保留和成功的关键时刻。 通过研究经验和实习为学生提供真实的STEM经验，以及帮助学生了解他们在地球科学领域的职业机会，培养在这些职业中取得成功所需的学术和专业技能，并确定可以支持他们的导师和网络沿着，是留住学生的最佳实践。鉴于参加社区学院的学生的人口构成非常多样化，这些学生成功转入四年制学位课程有助于扩大传统上代表性不足的学生在STEM和地球科学方面的参与。FRCC和UNAVCO正在合作实施一个分层的，以学生为中心的计划，为科罗拉多的社区学院学生提供地球科学体验式学习机会。 Geo-Launchpad计划通过结构化的体验为学生创造了一个进入以地理为中心的职业生涯的切入点，从介绍性研讨会和网络研讨会开始，以吸引学生，培养职业意识，并启动指导和网络。 动机的学生进入一个学期的地球科学专题课程，旨在建立学生的能力，并重新参与。 对于一组选定的学生，该计划在为期8周的带薪暑期实习经验在UNAVCO，它提供了社区学院地球科学途径的连续性与行业和先进的教育计划在科罗拉多的研究机构达到高潮。学生在团队中工作，专注于固体地球，冰冻圈，环境科学，水文大地测量和全球定位系统（GPS）技术的海洋/大气应用。每个实习生由3名导师支持，其中一名导师位于他们的家乡机构。除了增加地球科学内容的知识，Geo-Launchpad计划活动帮助学生建立批判性思维，数据分析，沟通和组织的基本技能。 在联合国志愿人员组织举行的年度小型研讨会为来自科罗拉多州的教职员工和学生提供有关地理发射台方案的信息，以及与指导和咨询有关的专业发展。在FRCC实施该项目的最初阶段之后，该项目将招募并在网上向全州其他社区大学的学生提供许多资源。

Front Range Community College (FRCC) and UNAVCO, a non-profit research facility that operates the NSF-supported Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope (GAGE) Facility, are collaborating on a holistic project to engage and retain community college students throughtout the state of Colorado in geoscience education and career pathways. The American Geosciences Institute 2014 Workforce Report predicts a workforce shortage of ~135,000 geoscientists by 2022. Increasingly, students begin their undergraduate careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at community colleges, making the transition between two-year and four-year undergraduate institutions a critical juncture for ensuring student retention and success. Providing students with authentic experiences in STEM through research experiences and internships, as well as helping students to understand the career opportunities available to them in the geosciences, to develop the academic and professional skills needed to succeed in those careers, and to identify the mentors and networks that can support them along the way, are proven best practices for retaining students in STEM pathways. Given the very diverse demographic make-up of students attending community colleges, successful transfer of these students into four-year degree programs helps to broaden participation of traditionally underrepresented students in STEM and the geosciences.FRCC and UNAVCO are collaborating to implement a tiered, student-focused program that provides community college students in Colorado with experiential learning opportunities in the geosciences. The Geo-Launchpad program is creating an entry point into geo-focused careers for students through a structured experience, starting with introductory workshops and webinars to engage students, develop career awareness and initiate mentoring and networking. Motivated students move into a semester-long special topics course in geoscience designed to build student capacity, and reinvorce engagement. For a select group of students, the program culminates in an 8-week paid summer internship experience at UNAVCO, which provides continuity of the community college geoscience pathway with the industry and advanced education programs at Colorado's research institutions. Students work in teams on projects focused on solid earth, cryosphere, environmental science, hydrogeodesy, and ocean/atmosphere applications of global postitioning system (GPS) technologies. Each intern is supported by 3 mentors, one of which is located at their home institution. In addition to increasing geoscience content knowledge, the Geo-Launchpad program activities help students build basic skills in critical thinking, data analysis, communication, and organization. An annual mini-symposium at UNAVCO provides faculty and students from around the state of Colorado with information regarding the Geo-Launchpad programs, as well as professional development related to mentoring and advising. After the initial phases of implementating the program at FRCC, the project will recruit and make available online many of the resources to other community college students throughout the state.