LESSONS LEARNED FROM TWO YEARS OF A SUMMER PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

Geoscience enrollments are declining at many institutions across the country despite strong workforce demand. Immersive summer bridge programs are one proposed solution to this issue but are time and resource intensive. Here, we present lessons learned from summer bridge programs over two years of our NSF GEOPAths-funded project, Geoscience Exposure and Training in Texas (GET TX). To establish a Geoscience Learning Ecosystem, recruit students to the bridge program, and promote awareness of the discipline, we conducted a series of open houses, high school classroom visits, and teacher workshops. We received over 130 student applications and hosted 22 high school and community college students. Bridge participants received an $800 stipend. The 10-day program focused on water, sediment, paleontology, and geochemistry in southeast and central Texas. To showcase the diversity of geoscience, students were exposed to both field and laboratory work. Most field experiences were within 30 minutes of campus, however, our capstone trip was a two-day excursion to central Texas. Laboratory experiences included: an indoor three-story rock wall; AR sandbox; groundwater models; and an ICP-AES to analyze water samples. Students observed modern processes in the first half of the program to understand and interpret the historical rock record during the last half. Pre- and post-bridge survey results show a positive shift in student perceptions and career interest: 37% indicate they are “somewhat likely” and 57% “very likely” to pursue a geoscience degree. After two years we have learned several lessons. First, Zoom interviews were helpful in selecting final participants. Second, while students appreciated show-and-tell aspects of field experiences, they valued hands-on, data-collecting experiences more. Third, students’ sense of place was narrower than expected. Finally, summer programs might be more effective convincing geoscience-inclined students to pursue their B.S. rather than students tangentially interested. Though anecdotal, one of the biggest impacts of these programs is the relationship-building opportunities with professors and peers. Bridge experiences can be transformative, especially for underrepresented and first-generation students considering undergraduate geoscience programs.