GP-GO: Integrating Spatial Literacy into Geoscience: Bridging the gap between education and workforce in the U.S.

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). By focusing on recruitment and retention of students from historically excluded communities, the educational-research program SPatial LITeracy - SPLITGeoscience provides an effective method of increasing diversity in geoscience, while strengthening obligations to society and broadening intellectual values in STEM research. Through a combination of workshops, hands-on training, field experience, and internship placement, the program emphasizes partnerships between academia, industry, and multicultural organizations to connect undergraduate and graduate students to future employers and to the scientific community at large. The program integrates geoscience and geospatial literacy with the socioeconomic needs of local communities across the United States, and thus, contributes to understanding geoscience-related challenges across the nation. The geospatial component of the program supports the urgent demand of the U.S. government and industry to prepare the next generation of skilled geoscientists to handle serious problems, such as the effects and mitigation of natural disasters, that are crucial to national welfare and security. This interactive approach attracts students and sparks their research curiosity and critical thinking. The SPLITGeoscience program is a three-year program proposed by Bowling Green State University in collaboration with Central State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Idaho State University, and AmericaView, a consortium of more than 40 universities. The project leverages innovative hands-on learning and field experience using the most sophisticated satellite- and drone-based technologies, plus internship opportunities, to satisfy two goals: 1) encourage and strengthen the geoscience professional development of students from historically excluded communities and facilitate their school-to-work transition using effective recruitment and retention strategies; and 2) elevate the status of career-related pathways of these students by becoming well-rounded and ready-for-job-market professionals. The program consists of two major components: 1) a series of intensive on-site hands-on learning events allowing insights into real-world geoscience problems using the most recent geospatial techniques learned from experts; and 2) a work placement program for university students established with industry, universities, and government. The ability to process and analyze spatial data to confront pressing geoscience and environmental issues is becoming the fundamental form of literacy for experts in geoscience, which is a fast-growing interest of government, academia, and industry. 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.