WHO IS ANSWERING THE MILLENNIALS’ CALL FOR MORE EXPERIENTIAL EARTH SYSTEMS EDUCATION? NUMUNDO: THE ONLINE NETWORK-BUILDING PLATFORM CONNECTING THE SUPPLY OF EDUCATIONAL CENTERS WITH THE DEMAND FOR PROJECT ORIENTED AND PLACE-BASED LEARNING.

Alternative educational systems, such as immersion experiences, are rising to the occasionin the training of millennials in geoscience skillsets with real-world experiences that traditional classrooms struggle to achieve. NuMundo is a new online platform strategically developed to meet the demands of millennials’ who seek informal, project oriented, place-based educational centers. Individuals can indicate specific geoscience related skills they desire to develop such as: erosion control, water systems, or renewable energy. NuMundo then assists students in finding an education center, called an Impact Center (IC) that provides projects that demonstrate the application of geoscience. ICs (n=175) focus on the ways humans depend on, utilize, and impact Earth’s resources and systems, which are a reflection of the Earth Science Literacy Principals (ESLPs).

The NuMundo platform is one way to connect geoscience students with educational centers that have geoscience-based projects where students can apply their knowledge and develop or practice their skills. To date, there and 1, 942 millennials (users ages 20-35) across the globe. For each month in 2016 there were over ten thousand first time visits to the platform for millennials ranging in age from 20-35. Trends from analytical data project continued IC growth and ability to reach the millennial population. NuMundo is poised to facilitate an educational paradigm shift; from traditional teacher driven, classroom-based format to a student driven, place-based experiential education The implication is that ICs are an avenue for increasing Earth Science Literacy among the millennial population.