AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF DIVERSE SCHOLARS TO EMPHASIZE SENSE OF IDENTITY, BELONGING, PLACE, AND SECURITY FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE GEOSCIENCE DISCIPLINE

Voices of Integrating Cultures in the Earth Sciences (VOICES) is a collaborative project focused on examining key areas of student engagement related to personal identity, feelings of belonging, history of place, and sense of security from scholars commonly underrepresented in the Earth sciences. The VOICES project implements creative strategies within a social behavioral framework to specifically dismantle persistent barriers in the recruitment, retention, and representation of different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, including intersectional identities and those with disabilities.

Three thematic workshops will highlight local cultural and historical connections to place, as well as the geographic and ecosystem functions that tie cultures to landscapes and coastal regions. The first of which will be held during the American Geophysical Union 2021 Fall Meeting in New Orleans. Each workshop will host a morning session providing an overview, discussion, and strategy-building period followed by an invited afternoon ‘walkabout’ to the culturally and ecological rich areas in which they are located.

This presentation will discuss our efforts to move beyond the traditions and legacies of a historically exclusive discipline. The VOICES workshops will begin to amplify the voices and perspectives of those who are commonly overlooked and raise awareness of cultural knowledge and best practices in belonging, access, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BA-JEDI) to create a more diverse and culturally robust Earth science community.