EXPANDING GEOSCIENCE COMMUNICATION ACROSS DIVERSE AUDIENCES

Communication and introduction of geosciences to audiences takes many forms. Who is a geoscientist? What is considered within the realm of geosciences? How do people outside of the discipline find their way to it? To provide snap-shots of how geosciences is communicated to the general population, this presentation will discuss how two students from a minority community were introduced to and entered into the discipline and strategies to make geosciences visible in many forms and to a variety of populations. Popular media is an early means of introduction to geosciences (although, it is often not accurate). Communicating geoscience to broader audiences often comes in the form of interpretation of the science at national and state parks, as well as museums. These avenues, however, may not reach all communities since national parks and museums are often less accessible to low-income, minority, or urban students. Attracting students to the major will require showcasing and providing experiences to students that provide obvious paths to employment, especially for underserved communities. This also means deviating from the traditional paradigm of who and what geosciences are, what the goal of geosciences is, and how geosciences can help sustain a prosperous future.