The Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence, California at Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley and the University of California Santa Cruz are leveraging the NSF OEDG-funded project, "Reducing Barriers to Academic Achievement & Marine Geosciences Careers: Developing a Model Middle School Program Integrating Marine Geosciences & Literacy" Grant #GEO-0703812 (also known as "Youth & the Ocean!"), by maintaining continuity with middle school student participants as they enter their high school years. This two-year pilot project, Youth & the Ocean: Teaming High School & Graduate Students Together for Coastal Investigations, develops a model inquiry-based geosciences education program that engages underrepresented high school students in a long-term intertidal monitoring project and a related weeklong, inquiry-based, residential research program facilitated by graduate student mentors. This project provides 24 underrepresented high school students with opportunities to increase their interest in, exposure to, and understanding of geosciences, improving the likelihood that these students will pursue geosciences fields of study or careers. The project provides 12 geoscience graduate students with training and practice in mentoring high school students to increase their understanding of the critical importance of incorporating rigorous education and outreach into their research endeavors as future scientists. The project also serves to develop and field-test a replicable, inquiry-based geosciences education program that can be widely used as an effective model for university marine science laboratories to fulfill their outreach and public education missions.
The Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence—California at Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley and the University of California Santa Cruz conducted a two-year pilot project, which aimed to develop a model inquiry-based marine science education program to engage underrepresented high school students in a long-term intertidal monitoring project and a related week-long, inquiry-based residential research program facilitated by graduate student mentors. High school students worked in pairs on a project that they developed in collaboration with their graduate student mentors, creating research triads composed of novices and experts. Research was conducted at UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory and Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve. The project’s goals were to: Provide 24 underrepresented high school students with opportunities to increase their interest in, exposure to and understanding of geosciences, improving the likelihood that these students will pursue geosciences fields of study or careers; Provide 12 geosciences graduate students with training and practice in mentoring high school students in order to increase their understanding, as future scientists, of the critical importance of incorporating rigorous education and outreach into their research endeavors; Develop and field-test a replicable, inquiry-based geosciences education program that can be widely used as an effective model for university marine science laboratories to fulfill their outreach and public education missions. The project leveraged the NSF Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG)-funded project, Reducing Barriers to Academic Achievement & Marine Geosciences Careers: Developing a Model Middle School Program Integrating Marine Geosciences & Literacy Grant #GEO-0703812 (aka ¡Youth & the Ocean! (¡YO!)), by maintaining continuity with middle school students from that project as they entered their high school years. We examined the impact of participation in the project on the interest of students currently underrepresented in the geosciences, particularly focusing on girls, African Americans and Latinos. Overall findings from the program evaluator included the following: In general, high school students reported appreciation for the opportunity to create their own research project and learn more about how science research is conducted in real world applications, distinguishing the hands-on experiences from the more textbook-centered learning environment of school time. This appreciation was also noted by graduate student mentors. Although students recognized the existence of stereotypes surrounding ethnicity or cultural background and ability to work in science fields, they did not feel that those stereotypes would impede their potential to have a career in science fields; indeed, several students considered breaking those stereotypes to be a source of motivation. Students appreciated the opportunity to work with graduate students and get real college experience to give them a better idea of what furthering their education in science fields would involve. Participating high school students’ pre-existing interest in pursuing an education or career in science was maintained, deepened, or reinvigorated by the program. By mentoring in this kind of outreach program, participating graduate students reported having practiced or improved their ability to communicate science to others. However, their commitment to continuing such mentoring in their future careers was uneven. These findings suggest various implications that should be considered for further study and for future program design and implementation: Although this model focused on mentors facilitating high school students as they designed and conducted their own research projects, other models such as traditional apprenticeships also provide opportunities for high school students to work with mentors on existing research projects. Findings from this study and other research suggest that different ways to partner students with mentors may hold different benefits and challenges that are not necessarily mutually exclusive and should be examined in more detail, including considerations of age-appropriateness and sequencing of such experiences Given the limited exposure for high school students to lab research experiences, providing a structured process for high school students to participate in the design and implementation of such investigations was highly valued and should be made more available to students interested in science. Although students were aware of stereotypes concerning what types of people who become scientists, the primarily Latino student participants in this program did not consider their gender and/or ethnicity barriers in their intent to enter STEM fields; indeed, the fact that Latinos/as were underrepresented in STEM actually served to motivate several students continue their pursuit of a STEM career. Unlike ethnic identity, however, religious identity was often considered to be in conflict with science, with participating high school students noting that they had to consider their science identity and their religious identity as different parts of their lives. Future programs may find it useful to recognize these conflicts and help students to find ways to address them.
