GP-UP: Geoscience Engagement: Growing Interest at Hispanic-Serving Institutions by Scaffolding Classroom Intervention to Service-Learning Projects

University Of Texas At San Antonio, San Antonio TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Despite concerted effort over the last two decades, the size and diversity of the geoscience workforce has not significantly changed to meet the projected demand for geoscientists, which has major consequences for the sustainability of natural resources and overall environmental quality that supports a strong economy and ensures the health and welfare of all United States residents. This project aims to address this shortfall using an innovative curriculum program to recruit and retain more undergraduate students from historically excluded groups; it will promote interest in geoscience within 2-year institutions where geoscience courses are limited and facilitate transfer pathways from 2- to 4-year institutions and retention to degree completion so students earn the educational credential needed to enter the geoscience workforce. The new insights gained from the program will form a model of best practices that can be adapted and implemented at other universities to grow a larger, more diverse geoscience workforce. This project aims to broaden participation and enhance retention in geoscience by implementing and testing the effectiveness of a three-stage early intervention strategy within the undergraduate degree arena. Conducted at the Hispanic Serving Institutions of Northwest Vista College and the University of Texas at San Antonio, the three-year program will generate greater awareness of and interest in geoscience in introductory STEM courses and promote retention through extracurricular service-learning projects. In introductory geoscience, chemistry, and physics courses, four modules will test the effectiveness of a recruitment strategy that targets specific barriers and motivations to broaden and diversify the pool of geoscience majors and minors. Participants will be supported by multi-level mentoring, advising, a transfer bridging event, and stipends; a program-specific interactive website will facilitate formal and informal learning and interactions between students, faculty, professionals, and community. The project design permits a critical test of a recruitment approach that targets a wider pool of potential majors and the critical elements of service-learning projects that promote learning and retention. The new knowledge identified from formative and summative program assessments will be widely transferrable because it focuses on introductory courses that are generally offered at many institutions and experiential learning experiences that can flourish independently from formal coursework. 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.