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

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。和美国的许多学区一样，威斯康星州伯洛伊特学区也面临着明显的种族和民族不平等和成绩差距，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，ppi建议建立一个非正式的网络，称为威斯康星州社区外展和环境指导教育领导（WELCOME）。伯洛伊特学区是一个理想的环境，可以在不同的学生群体中调查提高STEM素养、自信和职业兴趣的潜力，这些学生在很大程度上被排除在地球科学之外。欢迎倡议需要解决的广泛挑战是地球科学中持续存在的多样性危机；针对残疾青年的STEM障碍；缺乏以自然为本和以社区为中心的主动学习机会；地球科学教师缺乏知识基础和信心。该提案旨在向青少年介绍地球科学领域，并在中学阶段早期与地球科学家接触，因为早期接触是日后对该领域感兴趣的已知指标，旨在培养具有stem素养的公众。pi将建立一个非正式网络WELCOME，旨在加强对历史上被边缘化的青年的STEM教育。WELCOME将合作学习和实践经验结合在一起，让初高中学生、职前本科教师和在职教师关注耦合的地球气候系统，并受益于韦尔蒂环境中心非正式的、以社区为基础的学习环境。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、伯洛伊特学区、伯洛伊特学院、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以造福环境（GLOBE）项目。目标如下：(1)提高南WI青年对STEM的热情和自我能力的认知，同时克服与种族、民族和残疾状况有关的障碍，包括对地球科学专业的刻板印象。(2)通过实施GLOBE的协议，培养学生在假设构建、科学探究、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，包括为学生设计的具有高度社区相关性的地方环境调查的特殊测量协议，有效地吸引边缘化青年。(3)通过STEM夏令营为自闭症青少年拓宽地球科学机会，在无威胁、包容的学习环境中培养分析性好奇心。(4)通过GLOBE培训支持职前和在职教师的专业发展，以满足国家教师执照对环境教育熟练程度的要求，并开发参与所有地球科学学生的主动学习单元。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。

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.