GP-Impact: Improving Geoscience Education Pathways through Engaging Scientific and Career Experiences

罗德岛社区学院（CCRI）和罗德岛大学（URI）每年通过通识教育和地球科学入门课程共招收1500多名学生。这些机构将这些学生中的一部分培养成地球科学专业（目前约有70个URI专业），以便在教育、工业、联邦机构、保护组织等领域担任重要的社会职位。美国地球科学研究所2014年劳动力报告预测，到2022年，地球科学家的劳动力缺口将达到13.5万。这种对准备充分的地球科学家的迫切需求必须由学术地球科学部门的参与来回答。这个项目的智力价值是多层次的。罗德岛州的公立高等教育机构正在实施一系列易于处理的改革，以产生可衡量的结果，比如增加地球科学专业的数量和多样性。基于研究确定的建议和策略，各种各样的经验被整合到本科课程中，以减少成为和保持地球科学专业的障碍。正在评估每个因素对增加学生参与和增加地球科学多样性的相对重要性，特别关注2YC-4YC地球科学转学生的情况。通过这种方式，未来的活动（在罗德岛和其他地方）可以将政策和资源集中在对学生决定成为和保持地球科学家的最大影响上。总体而言，该项目旨在通过与学生的直接接触以及与其他组织和高等院校分享成功战略，加强地球科学人才队伍，促进科学发展，促进国家繁荣。认识到两年制大学（2YCs）作为学生在四年制大学（4YCs）获得学士学位的起点的重要性日益增加，CCRI和URI正在实施一系列修改和新项目，旨在增加每个机构项目中地球科学家的数量和多样性。该计划的目标是：(1)提高罗德岛州地球科学领域2YC/4YC的转移率；(2)增加地学毕业生的数量和多样性；(3)加强学生在地球科学和stem相关领域的培训；(4)为地学教育的成功实践提供了证据基础。在这次合作中，CCRI和URI正在实施校内和校外的组成部分，包括：有针对性地改进通往专业的门户课程；在数据丰富的活动、协作学习和实地体验方面系统地加强本科课程；精简转入地球科学的途径；一门新的以研究为重点的课程，由CCRI和URI教员共同授课；举办研讨会，让学生参与申请实习和研究机会的过程；为未来的地球科学专业学生举办一系列信息分享和指导活动。正在采用一项发展评价战略，其中包括形成性评价和总结性评价，以监测实现项目目标的进展情况。该项目预计将增加地球科学专业学生和新的、实践的地球科学家的数量和多样性。对于所有学生来说，这个项目将改善他们的本科经历，并为他们提供新的指导和通往职业成功的道路。URI和CCRI课程计划的变化将持续下去，新的社区建设活动将培养一个更积极的社区，产生不可估量的积极影响。此外，该项目将巩固2YC和4YC罗德岛州地球科学教师之间刚刚起步的合作，为未来的多个项目铺平道路。在区域和国家会议上发表的报告以及由这项工作产生的出版物有可能在更大的地球科学领域传播发现并增强经验。

The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) together reach 1500+ students annually through general education and introductory geoscience courses. These institutions train a subset of those students as geoscience majors (~70 URI majors presently) for societally important positions in education, industry, federal agencies, conservation organizations, and more. The American Geosciences Institute 2014 Workforce Report predicts a workforce shortage of 135,000 geoscientists by 2022. This imminent need for well-prepared geoscientists must be answered by the engagement of academic geoscience departments. The intellectual merit of this project is multi-layered. A tractable set of changes is being implemented in Rhode Island public institutions of higher education to yield measurable outcomes, in terms of increases in the number and diversity of geoscience majors. A variety of experiences are being integrated into and scaffolded with the undergradute curriculum that are based on research-identified recommendations and strategies to reduce barriers for becoming and remaining a geoscience major. The relative importance of each factor for increasing student involvement and greater diversity in the geosciences is being evaluated, with specific attention to the case of 2YC-4YC geoscience transfer students. In this way, future activities (in Rhode Island and elsewhere) can focus policies and resources on what will make the largest difference in student decisions to become and remain geoscientists. Overall, this project seeks to promote science and advance national prosperity by strengthening the geoscience workforce, both through direct engagement with students and sharing of successful strategies with other organizations and institutions of higher learning.Recognizing the growing importance of two-year colleges (2YCs) as the starting point for students who earn bachelor's degrees at 4-year institutions (4YCs), CCRI and URI are implementing a number of modifications and new programs that are aimed at increasing the number and diversity of geoscientists in each institution's programs. The goals of this program are to: (1) improve the 2YC/4YC transfer rate in the geosciences in Rhode Island; (2) increase the number and diversity of geoscience graduates; (3) enhance student training in geoscience and STEM-related fields; and, (4) contribute to the evidence base of successful practices in geoscience education. In this collaboration, CCRI and URI are putting in place both on- and off-campus components, including: targeted improvements to the gateway course to the major; systematic enhancements of the undergraduate curriculum in terms of data-rich activities, collaborative learning, and field experiences; streamlining of the transfer path into geosciences; a new research-focused course that is team-taught by CCRI and URI faculty; a workshop engaging students in the process of applying for internships and research opportunities; a series of information-sharing and mentoring events for prospective geoscience majors. A developmental evaluation strategy with formative and summative assessments is being applied to monitor progress in achieving project goals. This project is expected to increase the number and diversity of the pool of geosciences majors and new, practicing geoscientists. For all students, this project will have bettered the undergraduate experience and provided new mentorship and paths to professional success. Changes made to the URI and CCRI curricular programs will endure, and new community building events will foster a more engaged community, with untold positive impacts. In addition, this project will cement fledgling collaborations between 2YC and 4YC Rhode Island faculty in the geosciences, paving the way for multiple future projects. Presentations at regional and national meetings and publications resulting from this work have the potential to transfer findings and enhance experiences in the larger geoscience community.