Geological Society of America

T43 Geoscience Outreach Involving Undergraduates and High School Students Continues to Pique Interest and Build Cohort: Revelations from Longitudinal Tracking 2004-2023 (Posters)

Sunday, 22 September 2024
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Hall D

INSIGHTS FROM THE PROGRESS MENTORING PROGRAM: STRATEGIES TO RETAIN UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

Paper number: T43-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Sarah Schanz Presenting Author
Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
Natalia Maldonado
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Meg Patterson
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Ilana Pollack
Colorado State University, Ft Collins, CO
Joseph Tise
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Qiyue Zhang
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Rebecca Barnes (she/her)
Belmont Forum, Alexandria, VA
Melissa Burt
Colorado State University, Ft Collins, CO
Sandra Clinton
University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Wenyi Du
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Mica Estrada
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Emily Fischer
Colorado State University, Ft Collins, CO
Heather Henderson
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Paul R. Hernandez
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Abstract

The geosciences are one of the least diverse STEM fields; increasing participation requires not just recruitment of people of diverse backgrounds but an inclusive culture that fosters retention. The PROmoting Geoscience Research, Education, and SuccesS (PROGRESS; progress.colostate.edu) program is an NSF-funded program that provides deliberate mentorship and skills development for women and gender minorities in earth and environmental science majors. We serve students in the Colorado/Wyoming Front Range, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, southern California, and DC regions. Through longitudinal tracking, we found that participation in PROGRESS impacts participants’ access to women in a diversity of roles, promotes the development of strong and interconnected mentor networks, and enhances both persistence intentions and a sense of belonging for undergraduate women interested in the earth and environmental sciences. We present aspects of PROGRESS that can be transferred to other programs interested in increasing retention of historically excluded groups in STEM.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-404094

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