Expanding HBCU Participation at the National Association of Black Geoscientists Annual Technical Conference

这一奖项将支持大约60名学生参加全国黑人地球科学家协会(NABG)年度会议。会议将于2017年9月6日至9日在佐治亚州亚特兰大举行。参与者将从历史悠久的黑人学院和大学的24个环境科学学位课程中招募。这些项目的学生在NABG年度会议上的代表比例历来偏低。因此，目标是扩大NABG的学科代表性，以包括更多对环境问题感兴趣的有色人种。扩大NABG在环境科学方面的成员也将显著增加NABG的成员，增强该组织的稳定性和长期生存能力。该项目的一个主要目标是让教师和学生参与HBCU环境科学项目，并帮助他们参与一次对他们进入21世纪地球科学劳动力具有重要意义的全国会议。该项目将支持这些项目中的关键教师及其学生参加会议，发展一个有色人种网络，他们可以在未来与之互动，并成为一个充满活力的为少数族裔服务的STEM组织的活跃成员。学生还将接受发展非技术能力(也称为软技能)的重要指导。“软技能”被定义为对职场成功和职业发展至关重要的令人满意的生活和就业技能。该项目支持所有学术层次的学生参加会议前的“软技能”研讨会，并通过与专业与会者的互动，提供在整个会议期间练习所学技能的机会。

This award will support approximately 60 student to attend the Annual National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG) conference. The meeting will take place September 6-9, 2017 in Atlanta, GA. Participants will be recruited from two dozen environmental science degree programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students in these programs are historically under-represented at the NABG annual conference. Thus, the objective is to expand the disciplinary representation of NABG to include more people of color interested in environmental issues. Expanding NABG membership in environmental sciences will also significantly increase membership in NABG, enhancing the stability and long-term viability of the organization.A primary aim of this project is to engage faculty and students in HBCU environmental sciences programs and aid their participation in a national conference of importance to placing them in the 21st Century geosciences workforce. The project will provide support for key faculty in these programs and their students to attend the conference, develop a network of persons of color with whom they may interact going forward, and become active members in a vibrant minority-serving STEM organization. Students will also receive important instruction in development of non-technical competencies (also known as soft skills). "Soft skills" are defined as desirable life and employment skills crucial to workplace success and career progress. This project offers support for participating students from all academic levels to attend the pre-meeting "soft skills" workshop and opportunity to practice learned skills throughout the conference through interactions with professional attendees.