| 英文摘要: | Advancements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are the engine that drives U.S. innovation, economic development, prosperity and security. The STEM enterprise is strengthened by engaging multiple perspectives and utilizing the full talent pool available throughout the nation. Efforts to broaden participation of traditionally underrepresented minority students in the STEM disciplines thus contributes to a vibrant, creative, and impactful STEM workforce for the future. With more than half of STEM undergraduate degree recipients now beginning their educational pathway in a community college, it is essential that effective strategies for supporting students interested in STEM disciplines as they make the transition between two-year and four-year institutions be identified, in order to sustain the recruitment and retention of students in the STEM pipeline.
Citrus College, in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) at the University of Southern California, and the Oak Crest Institute of Science, is implementing a cohort-based program to engage 20 minority undergraduate students per year (60 students total) in immersive experiences that will increase their interest in, and preparation for, continuing along geoscience education pathways. Students at Citrus College, a Hispanic Serving Institution, will engage in geomodules organized around the subfields of planetary, atmospheric, ocean, and environmental sciences. These geomodules will include research activities with scientists at the collaborating research institutions. A capstone 10-day mini-internship at UCAR will provide immersive atmospheric research, training, and fieldwork. Professional development, mentoring, science communication development, and cohort-development is woven across all four geomodules. Through these catalytic experiences, participating students are expected to deepen their interest in and knowledge of the geosciences, to better understand the multiple entry points into the field, and to build valuable professional skills and networks. Engaging underserved populations through this project is expected to both increase the number of diverse students transferring to baccalaureate programs in the geosciences and create a more diverse population of science-literate citizens to address current and future geoscience-related challenges. |