GP:IN:Fostering STEM Education and Career Opportunities in a Diverse Wisconsin Community

GP:IN：在多元化的威斯康星州社区中促进 STEM 教育和职业机会

• 批准号: 2118482
• 负责人: Michael Notaro
• 金额: $ 34.89万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2118482&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; Fostering; STEM; Education; Career

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Like many school districts in the United States, the School District of Beloit, Wisconsin struggles with pronounced racial and ethnic inequities and achievement gaps, particularly notable in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In order to confront these academic and societal challenges, the PIs propose to develop an informal network known as the Wisconsin Educational Leadership for Community Outreach and Mentoring for the Environment (WELCOME). The School District of Beloit is an ideal setting for investigating the potential to enhance STEM literacy, self-confidence, and career interests among a diverse student population that has been largely excluded in the geosciences. The broad challenges to be tackled by the WELCOME initiative are the persistent diversity crisis in the geosciences; STEM barriers for youth with disabilities; insufficient nature-based and community-focused active learning opportunities; and deficient knowledge base and confidence among geoscience teachers. The proposal aims to introduce youth to the field of geosciences and contact with geoscientists early on, during middle school, as early exposure is a known indicator for later interest in the field, and aims to foster a STEM-literate public. PIs will develop an informal network, WELCOME, aimed at enhancing STEM education for historically marginalized youth. WELCOME combines collaborative learning and hands-on experiences among middle and high school students, pre-service undergraduate teachers, and in-service teachers that is focused on the coupled Earth climate system and benefits from the informal, community-based learning environment of the Welty Environmental Center. The key partners will include the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Welty Center, School District of Beloit, Beloit College, Achieving Collaborative Treatment, Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin, and Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. The objectives are as follows: (1) Enhance the enthusiasm and perception of self-competency in STEM among youth across southern WI, while confronting barriers related to race, ethnicity, and disability status including stereotypes regarding geoscience professions. (2) Foster students’ skills in hypothesis building, scientific inquiry, instrument calibration and usage, and data collection and analysis, focused on Earth’s coupled system, through the implementation of GLOBE’s protocols, including special measurement protocols for student-designed local environmental investigations of high community relevance that effectively engage marginalized youth. (3) Broaden geoscience opportunities for youth on the autism spectrum through STEM summer camps that engage analytical inquisitiveness in a non-threatening, inclusive learning environment. (4) Support the professional development of pre- and in-service teachers through GLOBE training to meet the state teacher licensure requirements for proficiency in environmental education, and the development of active-learning units that engage all geoscience students.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.

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公共法律117-2)。与美国的许多学区一样，威斯康星州贝洛伊特学区也在与明显的种族和民族不平等以及成就差距作斗争，尤其是在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面。为了应对这些学术和社会挑战，私人投资机构提议建立一个非正式网络，名为威斯康星州社区外联和环境辅导教育领导(欢迎)。贝洛伊特学区是一个理想的环境，可以用来研究提高STEM识字能力、自信心和职业兴趣的潜力，这些学生群体在很大程度上被地球科学排除在外。这项受欢迎的倡议需要应对的广泛挑战包括：地球科学领域持续存在的多样性危机；对残疾青年的STEM障碍；缺乏以自然和社区为重点的积极学习机会；以及地球科学教师缺乏知识基础和信心。该提案旨在将年轻人介绍到地球科学领域，并在中学期间及早接触地球科学家，因为早期接触是一个已知的指标，表明未来对该领域的兴趣，并旨在培养懂STEM的公众。PIS将开发一个非正式网络，欢迎，旨在加强对历史上被边缘化的青年的STEM教育。欢迎课程结合了初中生、职前本科教师和在职教师之间的协作学习和实践经验，专注于耦合地球气候系统，并受益于韦尔蒂环境中心的非正式、基于社区的学习环境。主要合作伙伴将包括威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校气候研究中心、韦尔蒂中心、贝洛伊特学区、贝洛伊特学院、实现协作治疗、威斯康星州中南部自闭症协会以及全球学习和观察有益于环境(GLOBAL)计划。目标如下：(1)提高西威州南部青年对STEM自我能力的热情和认知，同时面对与种族、族裔和残疾状况有关的障碍，包括关于地球科学专业的陈规定型观念。(2)通过实施全球方案，包括学生设计的与社区高度相关的地方环境调查的特别测量方案，有效地使边缘化青年参与进来，培养学生在假设建立、科学探索、仪器校准和使用以及数据收集和分析方面的技能，重点是地球耦合系统。(3)通过STEM夏令营扩大自闭症青年的地球科学机会，这些夏令营在非威胁性、包容性的学习环境中进行分析探索。(4)通过全球培训支持职前和在职教师的专业发展，以满足环境教育熟练程度的州教师资格要求，并发展吸引所有地球科学学生的主动学习单元。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。