GP-UP: Strengthening the Geoscience Workforce by Scaffolding Community Outreach and Research Experiences (SCORE) through WaterCorps

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。水兵团项目将建立一个强调地球科学领域劳动力发展的体验式学习途径。学生将参与一个专业的学习社区，提供一个与现实世界平行的环境，以项目为基础的工作环境，如环境咨询行业。该课程的独特结构使学生能够获得与地球科学相关的技术技能，同时也培养了在行业中取得成功所需的软技能（例如，项目管理和客户参与）。参加“水队”项目的学生将为北卡罗莱纳东部的地区需求缺口提供支持，开展从环境现场调查到广泛的社区合作伙伴的教育和推广活动。一支训练有素的地球科学工作队伍对于解决这个经济落后地区面临的重要水质和水量问题至关重要。水队的学生将使用基于问题的学习方法来发展他们的技能，这将使他们非常适合加入北卡罗来纳州东部的环境地球科学工作队伍。然而，该项目的结构也旨在向学生介绍业务流程并建立专业身份，从而为那些可能不会参加课程体验式学习体验（如传统研究）的人创造体验式学习的途径。水队项目是基于兴趣和身份发展的理论。众所周知，本科阶段的研究经历能非常成功地将学生推向研究生院和研究事业，与之相反，这个项目的主要目标侧重于建立专业身份，并为学生的劳动力做好准备，特别是与环境/沿海地球科学和环境咨询相关的领域。“水军团”组织将建立由项目经理、科学家、实习生和一般参与者组成的学生团队，以咨询式的方式解决社区合作伙伴提出的现实问题。外部项目伙伴从州政府机构到非政府组织和地方社区团体，处理各种与水有关的问题。学生将获得技术地球科学经验，并建立劳动力所需的软技能（例如，项目管理，客户沟通，时间管理和任务优先排序，以及人事技能）。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).The WaterCorps program will build an experiential learning pathway that emphasizes workforce development in the geosciences. Students will engage in a professional learning community that provides a parallel environment to real-world, project-based work settings, such as the environmental consulting industry. The unique structure of the program enables students to gain geoscience-related technical skills while also developing soft skills needed for success in industry (e.g., project management and client engagement). Students in the WaterCorps program will support a regional needs gap in Eastern North Carolina for activities ranging from environmental site investigations to education and outreach activities for a wide range of community partners. A well-trained geoscience workforce is critical to tackle the important water quality and quantity issues faced by this economically disadvantaged region. WaterCorps students will develop their skills using a problem-based learning approach that will make them well suited to joining the environmental geoscience workforce in eastern North Carolina. The structure of the project is also designed, however, to introduce students to business processes and build professional identity, thereby creating a pathway to experiential learning for those who might not otherwise take part in a cocurricular experiential learning experience, such as traditional research. The WaterCorps program is based on theories of interest and identity development. As opposed to undergraduate research experiences, which are known to be highly successful in moving students towards graduate school and research careers, this project's main goal focuses on building professional identity and preparing students for the workforce, particularly areas related to environmental/coastal geosciences and environmental consulting. The WaterCorps organization will build student teams consisting of a project manager, staff scientists, interns, and general participants to address real-world problems posed by community partners in a consulting-style context. External project partners range from State government agencies to non-governmental organizations and local community groups addressing a wide range of water-related problems. Students will obtain technical geoscience experience and build soft skills that are needed in the workforce (e.g., project management, client communication, time management and task prioritization, and personnel skills).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.