GP-IN: Air Across Texas: Scattered and Supported: A program introducing high school students from underrepresented groups to air quality monitoring, research, and careers

GP-IN：德克萨斯州各地的空气：分散和支持：该计划向弱势群体的高中生介绍空气质量监测、研究和职业

• 批准号: 2325570
• 负责人: Karin Ardon-Dryer
• 金额: $ 32.06万
• 依托单位: Texas Tech University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2325570&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; Air; Across; Texas; Scattered

Geoscience programs across the nation have seen a decline in enrollment, which will impact the geoscience workforce. A strong geoscience workforce is needed to build a resilient planet and help address issues important to the well-being of the nation, including air pollution, environmental change, extreme weather, and the compounding impacts that these events will produce. The geoscience fields remains some of the least diverse among the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The project Air Across Texas (AAT) will support high school students from underrepresented backgrounds in science to encourage them to pursue undergraduate degrees in STEM focusing on atmospheric science. The project will provide knowledge and research experiences for the students but will also support their parents/guardians enabling them to learn STEM concepts and educational avenues, enhancing the support of the next generation of scientists. At the end of the project a traveling lab kit will be developed and distributed to a network of high school teachers across the region with a preference for rural school districts that have limited access to resources.Air Across Texas will introduce high school students from across Texas (mainly from rural areas) to atmospheric science topics, with a focus on air quality. The goals of the project are to 1) Improve students’ knowledge and skills in research and atmospheric science topics (with a focus on air quality) 2. Increase STEM interest and STEM self-efficacy of high school students. 3. Increase parental awareness of STEM concepts, careers, and collegiate opportunities. 4. Introduce students to college experiences and STEM careers, increasing collegiate belongingness. The project goals will support the student’s engagement and interest in scientific fields, emphasizing the quality and development of the research process. It will use hands-on and project-based learning to foster students’ understanding on how to use a research-based approach when encountering challenging scientific concepts or subjects. AAT will operate in three phases including virtual and in-person settings, emphasizing parallel active learning and teamwork. In phase-1, in an online setting, students will be introduced to different scientific topics to increase their knowledge and prepare them for phase-2. During phase-2, student activities will focus on research learning activities. Each student will perform a research-based project using a low-cost air quality sensor that will be placed in their homes. In phase-3, students will take part in a 1-week Summer Research Symposium (SRS) at Texas Tech University (TTU), participating in cohort building and scientific activities to prepare them for college experiences. Parents or guardians will also participate at the beginning of SRS and learn about potential STEM careers, collegiate opportunities, and ways to support their children pursuing STEM. At the end of SRS, the students will present their research in a conference setting and will have university applications ready for submission. Students who complete the program will be invited to present their research at the Transformative Undergraduate Experiences Symposium held every year in the fall semester at TTU.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.

全国各地的地球科学计划的入学人数下降，这将影响地球科学劳动力。需要强大的地球科学劳动力来建立一个弹性的星球，并帮助解决对国家福祉重要的问题，包括空气污染，环境变化，极端天气以及这些事件将产生的复杂影响。地球科学领域在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）领域中仍然是最少的潜水员。得克萨斯州（AAT）的Project Air将支持来自代表性不足的科学背景的高中生，以鼓励他们在STEM上攻读本科学位，重点关注大气科学。该项目将为学生提供知识和研究经验，但也将支持他们的父母/监护人，使他们能够学习STEM概念和教育途径，从而增强了下一代科学家的支持。在项目结束时，将开发旅行实验室套件并将其分发给该地区的高中教师网络，倾向于偏爱无法获得资源的粗糙学区。德克萨斯州的Air将介绍来自得克萨斯州（主要是从粗糙地区）到大气科学主题的高中生，重点介绍空气质量。该项目的目标是1）提高学生在研究和大气科学主题方面的知识和技能（关注空气质量）2。提高高中生的茎兴趣和茎自我效能。 3。提高父母对STEM概念，职业和大学机会的认识。 4。向学生介绍大学的经验和STEM职业，从而增加了大学的归属感。项目目标将支持学生对科学领域的参与和兴趣，从而强调研究过程的质量和发展。它将利用动手和基于项目的学习来促进学生对如何在遇到挑战科学概念或主题的挑战时如何使用基于研究的方法的理解。 AAT将分为三个阶段，包括虚拟和面对面设置，强调平行的主动学习和团队合作。在第1阶段，在在线环境中，将向学生介绍不同的科学主题，以提高知识并为2阶段的2阶段做好准备。在第二阶段，学生活动将集中在研究学习活动上。每个学生将使用低成本的空气质量传感器进行基于研究的项目，该项目将放置在他们的家中。在第3阶段，学生将参加德克萨斯理工大学（TTU）的为期1周的夏季研究研讨会（SRS），参加队列建设和科学活动，为他们准备大学经验。父母或监护人还将参加SRS的开始，并了解潜在的STEM职业，大学机会以及支持追求STEM的孩子的方法。在SRS结束时，学生将在会议环境中介绍他们的研究，并将大学申请准备好提交。完成该计划的学生将被邀请在TTU的每年在秋季学期举行的每年举行的变革性的本科生经验研讨会上介绍他们的研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并认为值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准通过评估来进行评估。