Planning Activities for a COSEE-Florida Upward Bound Partnership

Indian River State College, Fort Pierce FL

Investigators

Abstract

This award is being used to convene a two-and-a-half-day planning workshop to establish the foundations of a new partnership between the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence located in Florida (COSEE Florida) and the Upward Bound program. COSEE Florida is designed to engage Florida's ocean scientists in education and outreach through professional development activities, while Upward Bound's goals are to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from post-secondary institutions. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop and implement effective strategies and programs for connecting role models from the ocean sciences community with >1000 college-bound students involved with Upward Bound each year. By working with the Upward Bound program, there is an opportunity to support students from underserved communities as they make the critical transition from secondary to post-secondary education. For the planning effort, a steering committee of 6 professionals from the scientific and education communities will select 20 representatives from the ocean sciences academic community, Upward Bound program, minority undergraduate and graduate student populations, and higher education administration officials focused on diversity efforts, to participate in the workshop and help to develop a path forward. This project serves the NSF and GEO Directorate goals of broadening participation in STEM fields, in general, and in the geosciences, specifically.