CREATING EARTH-SCIENCE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM AT 2- AND 4-YEAR COLLEGES

Students enrolled in non-science majors at most 2-year and 4-year colleges have limited exposure to Earth science. In Florida, non-science majors are only required to take 6 credit hours of general-education science (non-lab) courses to meet graduation requirements for a 4-year degree. However, addressing issues such as climate change, water-resources depletion and degradation, and habitat loss due to development increasingly requires that our graduates are scientifically literate members of society.

The East Campus Science Department at Valencia College has created a multi-prong approach to increasing student learning of Earth science outside the classroom. First, our annual Earth Day event attracts more than 400 students, staff, and faculty. The outdoor tabling event, which hosts numerous environmental organizations from amateur fossil-hunting clubs to wildlife rehabilitators, allows students to learn about local, national, and global environmental issues. The event is also an excellent opportunity for community outreach and partnerships. Second, a natural-history museum features displays of rocks, minerals, Florida fossils, and modern terrestrial and marine organisms along with numerous framed geologic maps, and an interactive kiosk. As with most colleges, space is limited at Valencia; hence, the museum is distributed throughout hallways and lobbies in two buildings on campus. The distributed location of the museum in public areas attracts more students than would a dedicated room or building. Third, wildlife habitat and pollinator gardens are being created around a pond and nearby stream using native plants. This native-plant garden also provides aesthetics, and has the potential for student research, such as documenting changes in water quality and biodiversity on campus. Finally, geologic field trips are available to students in any major. These popular trips range from 1-day kayaking trips to week-long excursions at national parks.

These projects have been funded with a combination of private grants, donations, and student activity fees. Student, staff, and faculty volunteers installed the native plants, which increases the sense of pride on campus.