GP-UP: RUI: ENHANCING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN STEM AND THE APPLIED GEOSCIENCES THROUGH INTEGRATED EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。社会正面临着重大的环境挑战，包括气候变化、水资源短缺和污染、资源枯竭、全球能源生产的重大变化以及人口增长的长期生态影响。缓解这些问题需要一支在应用地球科学方面具有深厚背景的多元化、全球一体化的专业工作队伍。为了满足对更多地球科学家的需求，该领域必须通过有目的地从历史上被排斥的群体中招募个人来扩大对未来地球科学家的寻找。该计划的主要目标是在威斯康星州西部和明尼苏达州的这些群体中招募、培训和培养职业成功人士。该计划建立了一条循序渐进的、多阶段的意向教育途径，旨在通过高影响力的实践、实践学习和专门的指导，最大限度地提高学生对地球科学的参与度和留存率。该项目是一个为期一周的应用地球科学暑期研究所，总部设在威斯康星大学Eau Claire分校，它将在上中西部的自然环境中开展探究性活动，向未来的本科生介绍地球科学和潜在的地球科学职业的相关性。这项计划有可能通过在威斯康星州伊利诺伊大学克莱尔分校和地区高中之间建立管道，长期显著地增强地质系和大学的多样性，为来自历史上被排斥人口的学生提供服务。建议的途径包括：1)招募高三学生参加夏季桥牌项目；2)进入威斯康星大学Eau Claire大学；3)在他们大学一年级之前参加基础研究体验；4)以有意识的同行和教员指导和高影响力实践为特征的大学体验；以及5)职业发展。该项目将直接涉及至少五名系教职员工，包括一名职业生涯早期的女地球科学家、十八(18)名本科生，以及几名威斯康星大学与伊利诺伊大学克莱尔分校的联合课程工作人员，为期三年。在该项目期间，该团队将与来自威斯康星州西部和明尼苏达州东部的54名高中生和9名高中理科教师合作。重要的是，UW-Eau Claire的强大的公平性、多样性和包容性框架将被用来在授权者的有生之年继续开展这一外展计划。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。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Society is facing significant environmental challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and contamination, resource depletion, major changes in global energy production, and the long-term ecological impact of population growth. Mitigation of these issues requires a diverse, globally-integrated professional workforce with a strong background in applied geosciences. To meet the need for more geoscientists, the field must broaden its search for future geoscientists by purposefully recruiting individuals from historically excluded groups. The primary objective of this program is to recruit, train and foster career success among individuals from these groups in western Wisconsin and Minnesota. This program establishes a progressive, multi-phase intentional educational pathway designed to maximize student engagement and retention in the geosciences through high-impact practices, hands-on learning, and dedicated mentorship. The bridge program is a week-long Summer Institute in Applied Geoscience based at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire that will use inquiry-based activities in the natural setting of the Upper Midwest to introduce prospective undergraduate students to the relevance of the earth sciences and potential geoscience careers. This program has the potential for long-term, significant enhancement in the diversity of the Department of Geology and the University through the establishment of pipelines between UW-Eau Claire and regional high schools serving students from historically excluded populations. The proposed pathway entails 1) recruitment of high school juniors into a summer bridge program; 2) matriculation to UW- Eau Claire; 3) participation in a Foundational Research Experience immediately prior to their 1st year of college; 4) a college experience characterized by intentional peer and faculty mentoring and high-impact practices, and 5) career development. The project will directly involve at least five Department faculty and staff, including an Early Career female geoscientist, eighteen (18) undergraduate students, and a number of UW-Eau Claire co-curricular staff over a three-year period. This team will work with ~54 high school students and ~9 high school science teachers from western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota during the project. Importantly, the strong equity, diversity, and inclusivity framework at UW-Eau Claire will be leveraged to continue this outreach program beyond the life of the grant.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.