SEEing Science in Appalachia: Serving, Exploring, and Engaging in an Honors Interdisciplinary Science Course at Eastern Kentucky University

“在阿巴拉契亚看到科学：服务，探索和从事荣誉跨学科科学课程”的目标是开发一个新颖的，跨学科的，实验室科学课程，提供更成功，创新和有意义的干指令高度积极性和学术才华的大学生从国家的服务不足的地区。 东肯塔基州大学（EKU）相关部门的教师将创建这门课程。来自整个大学的荣誉讲师被介绍给相关的基于地点的教学法。 这种独特的教学方法的好处也延伸到EKU周围22个县阿巴拉契亚服务区的中学生。 学生们参与了一个“服务科学”项目，该项目采用现场样本收集和实验室分析。 这些项目通过关注水质和流域管理以及蜜蜂和传粉者的健康和可持续性问题，提供与肯塔基州和阿巴拉契亚地区特别关注的问题相关的持续环境监测。该项目的智力价值在于创建，试点和传播一个模型，用于在整个肯塔基州，该地区，和国家，并引入相关的和创新的科学研究和教学到东肯塔基州大学荣誉计划。该项目积极吸引学生收集，记录，分析和出版有关项目的科学数据，重点是EKU服务的22个县，主要是阿巴拉契亚地区，EKU的许多学生居住在该地区。该项目由专家和经验丰富的PI指导。可持续性和制度化是研究选择和项目设计的内在要求。综合评估计划旨在证实项目的发展，并评估项目对各利益相关者的直接结果和长期影响。 东肯塔基州大学的教师和荣誉学生直接受到课堂上进行的研究和使用的创新教学法的影响。 一个更全面和准确的理解科学之间的未来肯塔基州教师和社区领袖是一个结果。 提供了来自代表性不足的贫困地区的高成就大学生（每年60名）和中学生（每年180名）的相关科学经验的成功榜样。在阿巴拉契亚地区进行环境研究和关注的著名地点不断监测数据收集情况。一个普通教育的改革模式荣誉科学教学准备全国传播。

The objective of "SEEing Science in Appalachia: Serving, Exploring, and Engaging in an Honors Interdisciplinary Science Course" is to develop a novel, interdisciplinary, laboratory science course to deliver more successful, innovative, and meaningful STEM instruction to highly motivated and academically talented college students from an under-served region of the country. Faculty from the relevant departments at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) are to create the course. Honors instructors from across the university are introduced to relevant place-based pedagogy. The benefits of this unique pedagogy are also extended to middle school students from the 22-county Appalachian service region around EKU. Students are involved in a "service science" project employing both sample collection in the field and analysis in the laboratory. These projects offer on-going environmental monitoring relevant to issues of particular concern in Kentucky and the Appalachian region by focusing on issues of water quality and watershed management and bee and pollinator health and sustainability.The intellectual merit of the project is in the creation, piloting, and dissemination of a model for relevant, place-based, general education STEM instruction throughout Kentucky, the region, and the nation and to introduce relevant and innovative scientific research and instruction into the Eastern Kentucky University Honors Program. The project actively engages students in collecting, recording, analyzing and publishing scientific data about projects with a focus on the 22-county largely Appalachian region that EKU serves and in which many of EKU's students reside. The project is directed by expert and experienced PIs. Sustainability and institutionalization are inherent in the selection of studies and the project design. A comprehensive evaluation plan is designed to substantiate the development of the project and to assess the immediate outcomes and the longer-term impacts of the program on various stakeholders.The broader impacts of the program are several. Faculty and honors students at Eastern Kentucky University are directly impacted by research undertaken and innovative pedagogies used in class. A more comprehensive and accurate understanding of science among future Kentucky teachers and community leaders is a result. Successful role models of high achieving college students (60 per year) and relevant science experience for middle school students (180 per year) from an underrepresented, impoverished area are provided. Ongoing monitoring of data collection at notable sites of environmental study and concern in the Appalachian region occurs. A model for the reform of general education honors science instruction ready for national dissemination is anticipated.