PROJECT GO: ARKANSAS' GEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL-LEVEL STUDENTS

Arkansas' Academic Enrichment for Gifted in Summer (AEGIS) program has funded a variety of high school-level experiences since its 1984 inception. During seventeen of those summers, Project GO (Geological Orientation) has provided a sixteen-day away-from-home experience to twenty-eight 9th - 11th grade students selected from a statewide applicant pool. Participants were exposed to geology (many for the first time) by experiential methods along a 1,600-mile circuit designed to incorporate important features of the state's major physiographic provinces. Project GO had two main aspects: (1) a set of “measurable program objectives” and (2) an “affective domain.” Measurable program objectives related first to the introduction of earth science basics followed by the inclusion of economic aspects of the geologic splendor and mineral resources of Arkansas. The topic of geology was used as a vehicle to teach the fundamentals of scientific investigation, to further develop critical thinking skills, and to communicate the importance of independent perspective. Students found their geology on outcrops during hikes, at roadside stops, high on ridges, low in caves, inside mines, and even on the Buffalo National River in canoes. The students kept journals documenting their daily experiences, experiments, observations, and thoughts. The mentors (comprised of state geologists, and secondary and post-secondary level faculty) played an active role throughout the participants’ daily experiences by providing constructive feedback in the field, during nightly group meetings, and through nightly journal reviews. The second aspect of Project GO dealt with the “affective domain.” This included fostering student curiosity, helping participants become more aware of the depth of geologic time, and demonstrating the link between human activity and natural geologic processes. Finally, Project GO sought to afford the students a different venue where they could practice the tolerance needed to work as members of a group and could recognize the value of individual contributions, allowing for growth of their interpersonal skills and maturity levels.