ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEOSCIENTISTS: EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO EARTH SCIENCE CAREERS, IMPROVES GEO-CONSCIOUSNESS IN GLOBAL CITIZENS, AND PREPARES PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS FOR THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM

With a projected increase in Earth science employment opportunities and an expected shortfall of skilled geoscience professionals, effective educational strategies must be implemented to broaden participation and extend the reach of geology into communities historically under-represented in the field. In an upper division undergraduate geology course, four projects were designed to engage students, allow diverse learners to make meaningful connections with the content, increase geo-consciousness, and prepare pre-service teachers for the science classroom. Quantitative and qualitative results show promise of effective learning and exposed areas of improvement in course design.