GP EXTRA: Geoscience Educational Opportunities and Career-Oriented Research Experiences (GEOCORE)

尽管地区和国家对所有劳动力市场的地球科学毕业生都有需求，但教育机构一直在努力增加入学率，导致全国约28,000名在校生中只有240人获得副学士学位，只有3800人获得学士学位（美国地球科学研究所，2013年最近的地球科学毕业生状况）。目前，社区学院占全国本科生总数的50%以上，是培养地球科学人才的重要渠道。然而，一些障碍影响了社区大学地球科学专业学生的招聘、保留和毕业，包括学生在学术准备、经济地位、支持感和职业机会意识方面的多样性，这使得两年制地球科学项目的招聘和坚持具有挑战性。为了满足就业需求，越来越多的学生必须注册，坚持并从两年制地球科学课程毕业。萨福克县社区学院（SCCC）提议通过一个名为GEO CORE（地球科学教育机会和以职业为导向的研究经验）的新项目来解决进入地球科学职业的障碍，该项目将把基于证据的教学概念扩展到课外活动中，以便让地质学、海洋和大气科学专业的专业和未来专业的学生更多地参与进来。该项目将以社区学院与三所地区高中、石溪大学、国家海洋和大气管理局、美国地质调查局和私营企业合作伙伴的持续合作为基础。该项目旨在通过提高学生的学习经验、提高转学率和就业安置来支持区域劳动力需求，从而提高地球科学专业的入学率和学生的成功率，特别是对该学科代表性不足的学生。萨福克县社区学院（SCCC）正在开发一个名为GEO CORE（地球科学教育机会和以职业为导向的研究经验）的新项目。这GEOPATH:EXTRA项目将建立在SCCC非常成功的国家资助的科学与技术进入和自由伙伴关系计划以及NSF S-STEM学者计划建立的正在进行的STEM合作基础上，通过汇集三所地区高中，石溪大学地球科学系及其海洋和大气科学学院，国家海洋和大气管理局，美国地质调查局水资源部和私营行业合作伙伴提供从高中到大学和进入地球科学劳动力的途径。GEO CORE项目的目标是：1)增加地球科学专业的入学人数，特别是那些在该学科中代表性不足的学生；2)提高学生的学习经验和成果；3)提高转移率和就业安置，以支持地区劳动力需求。通过GEO CORE项目，SCCC正在开展以下合作活动：1)为即将毕业的高中和社区大学一年级的学生实施一个暑期学院，由地球科学专业人士和学者领导，结合以研究为导向的实地考察经验，突出地球科学与区域环境和经济问题之间的相互联系；2)创建GEO CORE学生大使计划，为地球科学二年级学生提供准备和支持，让他们成为同侪导师和学术导师，促进一年级学生的成功；3)建立以职业为基础的培训计划，其中包括有害物质培训和认证，以确保即将毕业的地球科学学生拥有立即就业和/或在转学到四年制学院和大学后取得成功所需的技能；4)在政府机构、行业、高等教育机构和高中之间形成一个专业和同行交流机会的实践社区；5)鼓励将GEO CORE活动纳入高中课堂，作为中学与社区学院之间的桥梁，帮助拓展地球科学教育渠道。通过将学生成绩与既定基线进行比较，并跟踪GEO CORE服务的每个年度队列的学术成就、毕业、转学、研究经历和职业发展，来衡量项目的成功程度。

Despite regional and national demand for geoscience graduates at all workforce entry points, educational institutions have struggled to increase enrollment, leading to only 240 individuals earning an associate's and only 3,800 earning a bachelor's degree out of roughly 28,000 enrolled undergraduates nationwide (American Geoscience Institute, Status of Recent Geoscience Graduates 2013). Currently accounting for over 50% of the nation's undergraduate population, community colleges are a crucial pipeline to the geosciences workforce. However, several barriers impact the recruitment, retention, and graduation of community college geosciences majors, including the diverse nature of students with respect to academic preparedness, economic standing, sense of support and awareness of career opportunities - making recruitment and persistence challenging for two-year geoscience programs. To meet the employment demand, an increased number of students must enroll, persist and graduate from two-year geosciences programs. Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) proposes to address barriers to entry to geoscience careers through a new program, entitled GEO CORE (Geoscience Educational Opportunities & Career-Oriented Research Experiences), which will expand evidence-based pedagogical concepts to extracurricular activities in order to allow greater participation for majors and prospective majors of geology, marine, and atmospheric sciences. This project will build on ongoing collaborations by bringing the community college together with three regional high schools, Stony Brook University, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey and private industry partners. This project seeks to increase enrollment and student success in geosciences, particularly for students underrepresented in the discipline, by enhancing student learning experiences, and increasing transfer rates and job placements to support the regional workforce needs. Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) is developing a new program entitled GEO CORE (Geoscience Educational Opportunities & Career-Oriented Research Experiences). This GEOPATH: EXTRA project will build on ongoing STEM collaborations established through SCCC's highly successful, state-funded Science & Technology Entry and Liberty Partnerships programs, and its NSF S-STEM Scholars Program, by bringing together three regional high schools, Stony Brook University's Department of Geosciences and its School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey - Water Resources Division and private industry partners to provide a pathways from high school to college and into the geoscience workforce. The goals of the GEO CORE project are to: 1) increase enrollment within the geosciences, particularly for students underrepresented in the disciplines; 2) enhance student learning experiences and outcomes; and 3) increase transfer rates and job placements to support regional workforce needs. Through the GEO CORE program, SCCC is instituting the following collaborative activities: 1) implementation of a summer institute for graduating high school and first-year community college students led by geoscience professionals and academics that incorporates research-oriented fieldwork experiences that highlight the interconnection between the geosciences and the regional environmental and economic concerns; 2) creating a GEO CORE Student Ambassador Program which prepares and supports second-year geoscience students who serve as peer mentors and academic tutors to foster success among first-year students; 3) establishing a career-based training program that includes hazardous materials training and certification to ensure that graduating geoscience students have the skills necessary for immediate employment and/or success upon transfer to four-year colleges and universities; 4) forming a community of practice for professional and peer networking opportunities among government agencies, industry, higher education institutions and high schools; and 5) encouraging the integration of GEO CORE activities into high school classrooms to serve as a bridge between secondary schools and the community college to help grow the geoscience education pipeline. Project success is being measured by comparing student outcomes to established baselines, and tracking the academic success, graduation, transfer, research experiences and career advancement of each annual cohort served by GEO CORE.