HR: 12:05h
AN: ED22A-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Building on the Success of Increasing Diversity in the Geosciences: A Bridging Program From Middle School to College
AU: * Kovacs, T
EM: tom.kovacs@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AU: Robinson, D
EM: dianne.robinson@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AU: Suleiman, A
EM: ayman.suleiman@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AU: Maggi, B
EM: barbara.maggi@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AB: A bridging program to increase the diversity in the geosciences was created at Hampton University (HU) to inspire underrepresented minorities to pursue an educational path that advances them towards careers in the geosciences. Three objectives were met to achieve this goal. First, we inspired a diverse population of middle and high school students outside of the classroom by providing an after school geoscience club, a middle school geoscience summer enrichment camp, and a research/mentorship program for high school students. Second, we helped fill the need for geoscience curriculum content requested of science teachers who work primarily with underrepresented middle school populations by providing a professional development workshop at HU led by geoscience professors, teachers, and science educators. Third, we built on the successful atmospheric sciences research and active Ph.D. program by developing our geoscience curriculum including the formation of a new space, earth, and atmospheric sciences minor. All workshops, camps, and clubs have been full or nearly full each year despite restrictions on participants repeating any of the programs. The new minor has 11 registered undergraduates and the total number of students in these classes has been increasing. Participants of all programs gave the quality of the program good ratings and participant perceptions and knowledge improved throughout the programs based on pre-, formative, and summative assessments. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of degrees granted to underrepresented minorities in the geosciences. We have built a solid foundation with our minor that prepares students for graduate degrees in the geosciences and offer a graduate degree in physics with a concentration in the atmospheric sciences. However, it's from the geoscience pipeline that students will come into our academic programs. We expect to continue to develop these formal and informal education programs to increase our reputation and utilize the network of schools with which we have built relationships to recruit underrepresented minority students into our academic programs. We also plan to continue to enhance our undergraduate minor and graduate degree programs to build a self-sustaining graduate degree-granting program in the geosciences.
UR: http://www.hamptonu.edu/summer/geosciences/index.htm
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
DE: 0830 Teacher training
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting