Expanding HBCU Participation at the National Association of Black Geoscientists Annual Technical Conference

该奖项将支持大约60名学生参加年度全国黑人地球科学家协会（NABG）会议。会议将于2017年9月6日至9日在佐治亚州亚特兰大举行。参与者将从历史上黑人学院和大学的二十多个环境科学学位课程中招募。这些课程的学生在NABG年会上的代表性历来不足。因此，我们的目标是扩大NABG的学科代表性，以包括更多对环境问题感兴趣的有色人种。扩大NABG成员在环境科学也将显着增加NABG的成员，提高组织的稳定性和长期生存能力。该项目的主要目的是从事教师和学生在HBCU环境科学计划，并帮助他们参加全国会议的重要性，把他们放在21世纪世纪地球科学的劳动力。该项目将为这些项目的主要教师及其学生提供支持，以参加会议，发展一个有色人种网络，他们可以与之互动，并成为一个充满活力的少数民族服务STEM组织的积极成员。学生还将获得非技术能力（也称为软技能）发展的重要指导。“软技能”被定义为对工作场所成功和职业进步至关重要的理想生活和就业技能。该项目为所有学术水平的参与学生提供支持，参加会前“软技能”研讨会，并有机会通过与专业与会者的互动在整个会议期间练习所学技能。

This award will support approximately 60 student to attend the Annual National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG) conference. The meeting will take place September 6-9, 2017 in Atlanta, GA. Participants will be recruited from two dozen environmental science degree programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students in these programs are historically under-represented at the NABG annual conference. Thus, the objective is to expand the disciplinary representation of NABG to include more people of color interested in environmental issues. Expanding NABG membership in environmental sciences will also significantly increase membership in NABG, enhancing the stability and long-term viability of the organization.A primary aim of this project is to engage faculty and students in HBCU environmental sciences programs and aid their participation in a national conference of importance to placing them in the 21st Century geosciences workforce. The project will provide support for key faculty in these programs and their students to attend the conference, develop a network of persons of color with whom they may interact going forward, and become active members in a vibrant minority-serving STEM organization. Students will also receive important instruction in development of non-technical competencies (also known as soft skills). "Soft skills" are defined as desirable life and employment skills crucial to workplace success and career progress. This project offers support for participating students from all academic levels to attend the pre-meeting "soft skills" workshop and opportunity to practice learned skills throughout the conference through interactions with professional attendees.