FILLING THE ALASKAN GEOSCIENCE PIPELINE—USING THE RURAL ALASKA HONORS INSTITUTE TO INTRODUCE THE GEOSCIENCES TO ALASKA NATIVE YOUTH

From climate change to energy, geologic problems have become increasing more complex and interdisciplinary, while at the same time becoming more obviously relevant to society. Who will be the next generation of geoscientists that will study and attempt to solve these problems? The current generation of geoscientists consists of primarily white men and women, but this population represents an increasing smaller percentage of the U.S. demographic. In order to successfully address the global and Alaskan geologic problems of the 21st century, we will need a well-trained, enthusiastic and diverse group of geoscientists.

In order to attract new geoscientists, it is helpful to know what has ‘worked' in the past. Critical incident studies suggest that, for the current generation of geologists and geophysicists, key elements in choosing a geoscience career were: early exposure to geology and geologic phenomena; early interest in science and math; availability of geologic ‘mentors' and social camaraderie during undergraduate and graduate school; field experiences; and the availability of good jobs. In our education and public outreach activities, we can develop approaches that focus on these factors in order to attract the next generation of geologists.

Alaska youth are naturally already in the ‘geoscience pipeline', as they are exposed to many examples of geologic phenomena on an ongoing basis. At UAF, we are building on these experiences in an effort to attract more minority Alaskans to the geosciences. The Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) is an intensive, six week residential high school-to-college bridging program aimed at preparing talented rural Alaska youth for the social and academic challenges of college. A four credit, college-level, field-intensive, introductory geoscience course has been part of the RAHI curriculum for three years. While it is difficult to predict what effect the course will have on the long term, short term indicators suggest that the course if very effective in increasing the visibility of geology as a desirable career option.