GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA - 2017

Paper No. 233-6
Presentation Time: 2:50 PM

SUPPORTING LOCAL PATHWAYS LINKING GEOSCIENCE LEARNING TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THE EARTHCONNECTIONS ALLIANCE (Invited Presentation)


MANDUCA, Cathryn A.1, BENTHIEN, Mark2, CHARLEVOIX, Donna3, DAVIS, Felicia4, ELLINS, Katherine K.5, HADDOCK, Darryl6, IVERSON, Ellen1, MCGILL, Sally7, MORRIS, Aisha R.8, NAGLE, Barbara9, NEELY, Norma10, PANDYA, Rajul11, PETERMAN, Karen12 and TABER, John13, (1)Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College, 1 North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057, (2)Southern California Earthquake Center, University of Southern California, 3651 Trousdale Parkway, Ste. 169, Los Angeles, CA 90089, (3)Education and Community Engagement, UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr, Boulder, CO 80301, (4)Building Green Initiative, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, (5)Office of Outreach and Diversity, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Rd., Bldg. 196, Austin, TX 78758, (6)West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, 1442 Richland Rd SW, Atlanta,, GA 30310, (7)Geological Sciences, California State University, San Bernardino, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407, (8)Education and Community Engagement, UNAVCO, Inc, 6350 Nautilus Drive, Boulder, CO 80301, (9)Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-5200, (10)American Indian Institute, University of Oklahoma, 1639 Cross Center Drive, Norman, OK 73019, (11)Thriving Earth Exchange, American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, (12)Karen Peterman Consulting, Co., Durham, NC 27713, (13)IRIS, 1200 New York Ave. NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005, cmanduca@carleton.edu

The EarthConnections alliance is developing regionally focused, Earth education pathways. These pathways support and guide students from engagement in relevant, Earth-related science at an early age through the many steps and transitions to geoscience-related careers. Rooted in existing regional activities, pathways are developed using a process that engages regional stakeholders and community members with EarthConnections partners. Together they connect, sequence, and create multiple learning opportunities that link geoscience education and community service to address one or more local geoscience issues. By intertwining Earth education with local community service, we aspire to increase the resilience of communities in the face of environmental hazards and limited Earth resources while increasing the diversity of students seeking to enter the geoscience workforce.

Learning from its three initial pilots (Atlanta, Oklahoma Tribal Nations, and San Bernardino), the EarthConnections alliance is developing processes and activities that can help other communities develop geoscience pathways that engage students with geoscience-related opportunities or challenges in their communities. These include a collective impact framework to support and monitor progress, pathway mapping tools, access to national partners, and a growing collection of examples and pathway elements. The alliance approach strengthens partnerships within the local community while leveraging national geoscience education programs.