GP-UP: Building a GeoFORCE Learning Community to Attract, Prepare, and Retain Rural, Alaska Native, and First-Generation STEM Majors

GeoFORCE阿拉斯加是一个为期四年的实地暑期地球科学项目，吸引了阿拉斯加费尔班克斯大学（UAF）代表性不足的学生。该计划得到了行业赞助商和阿拉斯加本土公司的支持，这些公司在阿拉斯加北部和内陆有利益或股东。当我们准备迎接数量空前的阿拉斯加GeoFORCE毕业生到UAF时，我们寻求通过将数字地图和语言艺术纳入夏季课程并在UAF建立本科学习社区来增加准备和保留。这个GeoFORCE校友学习社区将提供补充指导、社交网络和财政支持的机会，以提高大学留校率和毕业率，实现阿拉斯加劳动力多样化的目标。阿拉斯加地质部队的目标是：1)促进高中毕业；2)增加农村学生上大学和攻读STEM学位的人数；3)多样化阿拉斯加的技术劳动力。前两个队列的结果表明，GeoFORCE阿拉斯加是一种非常有效的手段，可以提高阿拉斯加偏远村庄的高中毕业率，并增加农村、阿拉斯加原住民、女性和第一代大学生对STEM专业的参与。然而，GeoFORCE尚未实现目标3。校友跟踪揭示了完成学位的重大障碍，包括：1)缺乏准备，导致被安排在发展性数学和写作课程上；2)难以适应校园生活；3)财务困难。为了在GeoFORCE校友之间建立一个强大的学习社区，我们将采用共同课程建设，近同伴指导，奖学金和社会活动。大一和大二的学生将学习数学、写作和地球科学入门课程。作为高年级学生，这些学生将有资格担任GeoFORCE顾问，并指导下一波农村地球科学专业的学生。训练有素的辅导员和一名高中英语老师将帮助学生掌握项目建设的技术和叙事元素。拥有STEM学位的阿拉斯加农村学生为土地管理和资源开采的决策带来了宝贵的观点。加强学生准备，为GeoFORCE校友建立一个综合的学术、社会和经济支持系统，有可能提高阿拉斯加原住民、女性和来自农村社区的第一代学生的大学成功率。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

GeoFORCE Alaska is a four-year, field-based, summer geoscience program with a record of attracting underrepresented students to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The program is supported by industry sponsors and Alaska Native Corporations with interests or shareholders in northern and interior Alaska. As we prepare to welcome an unprecedented number of GeoFORCE Alaska graduates to UAF, we seek to increase both preparation and retention by incorporating digital mapping and Language Arts into the summer program and building an undergraduate learning community at UAF. This GeoFORCE Alumni Learning Community will provide opportunities for supplemental instruction, social networking, and financial support in order to increase college retention and graduation rates and realize the goal of workforce diversification in Alaska.The goals of GeoFORCE Alaska are: 1) Promote high school graduation; 2) Increase the number of rural students attending college and pursuing STEM degrees; and 3) Diversify Alaska’s technical workforce. Results of the first two cohorts indicate that GeoFORCE Alaska is highly effective as a means of raising high school graduation rates in remote Alaskan villages and increasing the participation of rural, Alaska Native, female, and first-generation college students in STEM majors. However, GeoFORCE has yet to accomplish goal 3. Alumni tracking reveals significant barriers to degree completion, including: 1) lack of preparation, leading to placement in developmental Math and Writing courses; 2) difficulty adapting to campus life; and 3) financial struggles. To forge a strong learning community among GeoFORCE alumni, we will employ common course construction, near-peer mentoring, scholarships, and social activities. Freshman and Sophomores will enroll in blocks of Math, Writing, and introductory Geoscience courses. As upperclassmen, these students will be eligible to serve as GeoFORCE counselors and mentor the next wave of rural Geoscience majors. Trained counselors and a high school English teacher will assist students with technological and narrative elements of project construction. Rural Alaskan students with STEM degrees bring valuable perspectives to decisions regarding land management and resource extraction. Enhancing student preparation and building an integrated academic, social, and financial support system for GeoFORCE alumni has the potential to increase college success among Alaska Native, female, and first-generation students from rural communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.