184 Geoscience Education: Innovative Approaches to Geoscience Education in Formal and Informal Settings

Tuesday, 6 November 2012
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
209AB

SF-ROCKS TO METALS: THE EVOLUTION OF AN INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

Paper number: 184-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Authors

Abstract

SF-ROCKS (Reaching Out to Communities and Kids with Science in San Francisco) is an informal geoscience education project that effectively addresses the projected shortfall of Earth science students. Conceived in 2001 by geosciences faculty at San Francisco State University, SF-ROCKS was supported by NSF and NOAA funds and designed to: extend the reach of the geosciences into the local urban community through collaboration with the public school system, infuse classrooms with creative and fun approaches to teaching Earth science, engage urban youth in the academic study of their natural environment, and provide undergraduate and graduate students at SFSU and students at SF City College with ways to interact with high school students and teachers. The following key components were essential to increasing access to Earth science education and building effective academic pathways for under-represented students into formal, post-secondary study in the geosciences: SFSU faculty serving as “expert geoscientists” in local classrooms, college students and teachers engaged in hands-on learning activities during intensive summer institutes, high school and college student participation in professional conferences as co-authors of scientific posters, and mentoring.

SF-ROCKS project leaders have taken the effective components of this outreach program and, in partnership with geoscience faculty involved in diversifying and broadening participation of under-represented students in geology, developed METALS (Minority Education through Travel and Learning in the Sciences). METALS is a collaborative effort between geoscience faculty at San Francisco State University, University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), University of New Orleans (UNO), and Purdue University that provides informal geoscience education in National Parks to 10-12 high school students from each geographic region. METALS serves as a culmination of best practices in increasing access to the Earth sciences. Since its inception, approximately 100 high school students have engaged in scientific observation, measurement and methodology in the field.

Results from internal and external evaluation of the strategies implemented by SF-ROCKS and METALS show that the projects are effective and can serve as models.