GP-IMPACT: Creating Pathways for Literacy, Undergraduate Majors and Careers in the Geosciences through Institutional Collaborations

在接下来的几十年里，康涅狄格州和新英格兰将面临更频繁、更强烈的飓风、洪水和海平面上升、不安全的饮用水和摇摇欲坠的基础设施带来的越来越多的挑战。地球科学家工作在这些挑战和他们的数据驱动解决方案之间的交汇点，增加了对地球科学素养和强大的地球科学劳动力的需求。该项目强调制定和实施各种方法，以扩大康涅狄格州获得地球科学教育、研究机会和职业道路的机会。该项目的核心是为进入康涅狄格州大学地球科学专业创造了4条途径，其次是加强实习和职业指导计划。主要调查人员将重点调查大学前到大学早期的学生，目标是提高学生的保留率和职业准备。具体地说，他们计划1)通过四个关键途径从大学预科到大学早期阶段招收专业学生：康涅狄格州大学预科体验、康涅狄格州大学预科体验、康涅狄格州地区校园和整个康涅狄格州的社区学院。康涅狄格州大学的欧洲教育计划允许有动力的高中生在他们的高中学习康涅狄格州大学的课程，以同时获得大学和高中的学分。大学预科课程让高中生有机会在进入大学之前在康涅狄格州大学参加为期一周的短期课程，从而接触到这一学科。进入地球科学专业的另外两个切入点--社区学院和康涅狄格州大学地区校区--将通过研讨会和教师培训机会与新的地球科学系联系起来。2)研究人员将开发新的策略来留住地球科学专业的学生，并为他们提供新的职业机会。资金将支持康涅狄格州能源和环境保护部(DIEP)、康涅狄格州地质学会(GSC)、当地土地信托基金和与康涅狄格州大学地球科学密切相关的环境公司的实习和外部培训，同时为所有本科生开发职业指导计划。在这些新的方案中，调查人员将强调代表不足的群体的更多参与。最终目标是在CT中扩大公众对地球科学的认识，并加强康涅狄格州大学新成立的地球科学系。该项目的更广泛影响是多方面的，贯穿于所有活动，并可作为其他国家和机构的典范。活动的很大一部分将是针对两年制和地区校园教师的研讨会和培训，以及对参加暑期项目的大学预科学生和实习本科生的支持。这些外展工作将提高全州地球科学的知名度。该团队计划建立的伙伴关系和合作网络将为本科生毕业后的成功提供支持，并将成为新系教育项目的基石。康涅狄格州大学地质学院的目标是开发不同学术水平的项目，为进入和通过地球科学提供途径。具体地说，该项目将1)为康涅狄格州的高中创建一门大学早期体验课程；2)为对地球科学感兴趣的本科学生创建大学前暑期体验；3)在康涅狄格州大学地区校区、两年制学院和康涅狄格州斯托尔斯大学主校区之间建立桥梁，并更好地整合；4)在康涅狄格州大学与康涅狄格州能源和环境保护部(DEEP)和其他实体共同开发本科实习计划；5)在康涅狄格大学制定职业指导计划，为学生毕业后的未来做好准备。主要调查人员计划利用康涅狄格州大学成功的早期大学体验(ECA)计划，在两所高中试行地球科学入门课程，并在其他学区招聘教师，特别是少数族裔人口较多的哈特福德和布里奇波特的学区。研究人员将与康涅狄格州大学卓越教学中心(CETL)合作，促进教师招聘和评估与该项目相关的活动。该团队将把康涅狄格州大学四个地区校区和该州两年制大学的项目与斯托尔斯主校区的项目联系起来，为代表不足的群体提供地球科学。研究人员将为高中生创造一个基于野外的大学前体验，让他们在户外环境中接触地球科学。最后，主要研究人员将通过与深度咨询公司、土地信托等实体和康涅狄格州地质学会建立合作伙伴关系，扩大新生的本科生实习项目，这将提高他们毕业后的成功。将建立一个指导计划，帮助学生走上通往有益的地球科学职业的道路。这些计划将是可持续的、可衡量的和可移植的。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Over the next several decades, Connecticut and New England will face increasing challenges caused by more frequent and stronger hurricanes, flooding and sea level rise, unsafe drinking water, and crumbling infrastructure. Geoscientists work at the intersection between these challenges and their data- driven solutions, increasing the need for geoscience literacy and a strong geoscience workforce. The project emphasizes the development and implementation of methods for broadening access to geoscience education, research opportunities, and career pathways in the State of Connecticut. The core of this project creates 4 pathways for entering the geoscience major at UConn, followed by strengthening the internship and career mentoring programs. The principal investigators will focus on pre-college to early college students, with the goal of enhancing student retention and career preparation. Specifically, they plan to 1) recruit majors at the pre-college through early college stage through four critical gateways: a UConn Early College Experience (ECE), the UConn pre-College Experience, UConn regional campuses, and community colleges throughout Connecticut. The UConn ECE program allows motivated high school students to take UConn courses at their high schools for simultaneous college- and high-school credit. The pre-college experience gives high school students the opportunity to enroll in a 1 week short-course at UConn prior to enrolling in college, thereby offering exposure to the discipline. The other two entry points into the geoscience major--community colleges and UConn regional campuses-- will be linked to the new Department of Geosciences through workshops and training opportunities for their faculty. 2) The researchers will develop new strategies to retain geoscience majors and prepare them for emerging career opportunities. Funds will support internships and externships at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Geological Society of Connecticut (GSC), local land trusts and environmental companies with strong ties to UConn geosciences, while simultaneously developing a career mentoring program for all undergraduate students. Within these new programs, the investigators will emphasize the increased involvement of under-represented groups. The end goals are to expand public awareness of geosciences in CT and strengthen a new Department of Geosciences at UConn. The broader impacts of this project are many, are infused throughout all activities, and are transportable as a model for other states and institutions. A large part of the activities will be workshops and trainings for 2 year and regional campus faculty, and support for pre-college students attending the summer program and undergraduate students doing internships. These outreach efforts will enhance the visibility of geosciences throughout the state. The network of partnerships and collaborations the team plans to create will provide support for undergraduates to be successful after graduation and will be a cornerstone in the educational program in a new department.The goals of UConn Geopaths are to develop programs at various academic levels to provide pathways into and through the geosciences. Specifically, the project will 1) create an Early College Experience (ECE) course for high schools in Connecticut; 2) create a pre-college summer experience for pre-baccalaureate students interested in the geosciences; 3) build bridges and better integration between UConn regional campuses, 2 year colleges and the UConn Storrs main campus; 4) develop an undergraduate internship program at UConn with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and other entities; and 5) develop a career mentoring program at the University of Connecticut to prepare students for their post-baccalaureate futures. The principal investigators plan to engage UConn's successful statewide Early College Experience (ECE) program to pilot an introductory geoscience course at two high schools, and recruit teachers for ECE courses in other school districts, particularly those in Hartford and Bridgeport, where minority populations are high. The researchers will partner with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at UConn to facilitate teacher recruitment and assess activities related to this project. The team will link programs at UConn's four regional campuses and the state's 2 year colleges with the main campus at Storrs to feature geoscience for underrepresented groups. The researchers will create a field-based Pre-college experience for high school students to expose them to geoscience in outdoor settings. Finally, the principal investigators will enlarge the nascent undergraduate internship program via partnerships with DEEP, consulting firms, entities like land trusts, and the Geological Society of Connecticut, which will enhance their post-graduation success. A mentoring program will be established to assist students in navigating the pathway towards a rewarding geoscience career. These initiatives will be sustainable, measurable, and transportable.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.