Inspiring Innovation: Two-year College Geoscience Faculty as Agents of Change

该项目旨在通过为地球科学，环境科学和其他STEM教师提供机会来服务于国家利益，以考虑他们可以在教学和其他专业实践中采用，适应和实施的可行变化。为了实现这一目标，为期五天的两年制大学（2 YC）地球科学教师的虚拟会议将举行，以推进有关提高2 YC学生的成功，并成为教师变革的推动者的知识。会议将由个人谁（1）担任教师领导人（变革推动者）在他们的校园和他们的地区;（2）写文章“催化变革：干教师作为变革推动者”（贝尔，Layou，麦克唐纳，2022），一卷社区学院的新方向，关于他们的工作作为变革推动者;和（3）书面资助的赠款建议。这种专业发展经验将促使教师考虑如何提高他们的教学，包容性战略和学生指导技能。这些变化将加强招聘，保留和支持STEM学生在2 YCs。本次会议还将解决2 YC教师参与NSF提案概念和创建的障碍，并为希望制定赠款提案的参与者提供支持，反馈和时间。增加2 YC教师参与联邦赠款可能会对招聘和留住不同群体的STEM工作者产生巨大影响，因为2 YC的许多学生都是STEM历史上代表性不足的群体的成员。项目负责人将召开为期五天的虚拟会议为2 YC地球科学教师使用的文章从“催化变化，”其中大部分是由2 YC教师谁曾领导教师专业发展的背景下，SAGE 2 YC（支持和推进地球科学教育在两年制学院）计划和/或有资助的赠款提案的经验。会议-由“催化变革”章节作者领导-关于有效教学和学生学习;多样性，公平和包容性;并支持学生的职业和转移路径将传播“催化变革”文章的内容，并帮助参与者制定未来工作的想法，作为变革的教师代理人和赠款提案作者。会议的互动形式将帮助一个多元化的参与者群体，其中许多人可能是新的领导教师专业发展和/或写作补助金的建议在过去，在制定的想法，推动他们的工作在他们的校园和发展个人或合作NSF的建议。该项目的目标是在全国范围内发展现有的2 YC教师变革推动者社区，继续推进SAGE 2 YC项目的目标，并鼓励增加2 YC地球科学教师参与NSF和其他赠款提案的提交。这些努力将最终有助于学生的成功，教师提高他们的专业实践。NSF IUSE：EDU计划支持研发项目和会议，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并且通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响力审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by providing opportunities for geoscience, environmental science, and other STEM faculty to consider actionable changes that they could adopt, adapt, and implement in their instructional and other professional practices. To achieve this aim, a five-day virtual conference for two-year college (2YC) geoscience faculty will be held to advance knowledge about improving 2YC student success and becoming a faculty change agent. The conference will be led by individuals who have (1) served as faculty leaders (change agents) on their campuses and in their regions; (2) written articles in “Catalyzing Change: STEM Faculty as Change Agents” (Baer, Layou, & Macdonald, 2022), a volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, about their work as change agents; and (3) written funded grant proposals. This professional development experience will prompt faculty to consider how to improve their teaching, strategies for inclusion, and student mentoring skills. These changes will enhance the recruitment, retention, and support of STEM students at 2YCs. This conference will also address barriers to 2YC faculty involvement in NSF proposal conception and creation, and provide support, feedback, and time for participants who wish to develop grant proposals. Increased 2YC faculty participation in federal grants could have a tremendous impact on the recruitment and retention of a diverse group of STEM workers as many students at 2YCs are members of groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Project leaders will convene a five-day virtual conference for 2YC geoscience faculty using articles from “Catalyzing Change,” most of which were authored by 2YC faculty who have led faculty professional development in the context of the SAGE 2YC (Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges) program and/or have experience with funded grant proposals. Conference sessions — led by “Catalyzing Change” chapter authors — on effective teaching and student learning; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and supporting students’ career and transfer paths will disseminate the content of the “Catalyzing Change” articles and aid participants in formulating ideas for future work as faculty agents of change and grant proposal authors. The interactive format of the conference will aid a diverse group of participants, many of whom may be new to leading faculty professional development and/or writing grant proposals in the past, in formulating ideas for moving their work forward on their campuses and developing individual or collaborative NSF proposals. The goals of the project are to grow the existing community of 2YC faculty change agents across the country, continue to advance the goals of the SAGE 2YC project, and encourage increased 2YC geoscience faculty participation in the submission of NSF and other grant proposals. These efforts will ultimately contribute to student success as faculty enhance their professional practices. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects and conferences to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all 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.