Enriching the First-Year Experience for Students at an Urban Hispanic-Serving Institution Through Peer Mentoring and Active Inquiry: A Track 1 Project

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。东北伊利诺伊大学(NEIU)正在制定新的战略，通过利用必需的第一年经验(FYE)课程，招收更多代表性不足(主要是西班牙裔)的学生参加地球科学本科项目。NEIU是一所城市、通勤的综合性大学，位于芝加哥北侧的一个居民区，为在STEM领域代表不足的大型少数族裔社区提供教育。该项目正在测试一个模式项目，旨在通过在第一年为学生提供高质量、充满活力的教育体验来吸引他们进入地球科学，教授地质原理，并帮助他们与大学、科学和该领域的人建立个人联系。项目活动旨在解决影响学生专业和职业选择的情感领域。学生们正在通过调查水污染、城市土壤中的铅、社区的洪水以及地质学影响他们日常生活的许多其他方式，接触到地学的社会相关性。人们期望，随着学生通过令人兴奋的实践学习体验来接触地质学原理，他们将开始认识到地质学的力量，为他们自己、他们的社区和世界创造更好的生活。对于通勤学校来说，学生与大学的联系往往很难实现，现在正在通过使用同行导师来鼓励学生与大学建立联系，同行导师充当学术榜样和教练。与地球科学专业学生和专业地球科学家的互动被用来鼓励他们完成地球科学学位的兴趣。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is developing new strategies to recruit more underrepresented (largely Hispanic) students to undergraduate Earth Sciences programs by capitalizing on a required First-Year Experience (FYE) curriculum. NEIU is an urban, commuter, comprehensive university located in a residential neighborhood on Chicago's north side that provides education for a large community of minorities underrepresented in the STEM fields. This project is testing a model program to attract students to the geosciences by providing them with a high-quality, invigorating educational experience in their first year that teaches geologic principles and helps them personally connect to the university, the science, and people in the field. Project activities are designed to address the affective domain, which influences students' major and career choices. Students are being exposed to the social relevance of the geosciences through investigation of water pollution, lead in urban soils, and flooding in their neighborhoods, as well as the many other ways that geology influences their daily lives. It is expected that, as students engage with geologic principles through exciting hands-on learning experiences, they will begin to realize the power of geology to make a better life for themselves, their communities, and the world. Student connections to the university, which are oftentimes difficult to achieve for a commuter school, are being encouraged through the use of Peer Mentors who act as academic role models and coaches. Interactions with Earth Science majors and professional geoscientists are being used to encourage their interests in completing an Earth Science degree.