MAKING GEOSCIENCES “REAL” FOR URBAN YOUTH IN NEWARK, NJ

Newark, New Jersey, like many other inner cities, produces very few geoscientists. This lack of interest on the part of inner city youth, many of whom are from minority groups, is one of the main reasons that the Geosciences have a very poor record in terms of diversity. A program that guides inner city students from first contact to career in applied Geosciences was launched in Newark in 2008. The main activity of this program is to infuse practical applications of geosciences (energy, mining and the environment) into the regular 9th grade Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences curricula in several test high schools. This infusion is largely accomplished through the development of innovative hands-on analog exercise models in which practical issues are addressed. Students drill for oil and gas, assay metallic ores, generate tsunamis and assess their damage, find holes in landfill liners, track pollutant plumes in groundwater, build gauging stations on rivers and use cold-wet geothermal energy to heat water among others. Each exercise-model is run in a single class period but the concepts are spread into the regular curriculum lessons during the same week. The exercises address the necessary science standards but also enhance them to pose geosciences as a potential area of interest and possibly a career. The students react very positively towards the models and exercises even from first exposure and maintain interest throughout the academic year. The vast majority of the students have no idea what geology is much less that there are career possibilities in it before the exercises are run. Afterwards, many are seriously interested in investigating career possibilities. It remains to be seen if these students will continue on to careers in the geosciences but the program has certainly driven a cultural change in the student attitudes towards geosciences at the high schools where it is operating.