DEVELOPING A HOLISTIC, YOUTH-LED AND COMMUNITY-CENTRIC GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS IN CALIFORNIA’S SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) region has been affected by severe environmental challenges (drought, water and air pollution, extreme heat), the effects of which are compounded by climate change and disproportionately impact socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. As a regional comprehensive university, Fresno State serves the SJV and hosts a diverse student body where the majority of undergraduates are Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Black (55%, 9.8%, and 2.7%, respectively); 68% are First Generation college students; and 64% are Pell-grant eligible. Given that most of our students come from and stay in the SJV, they come with robust “funds of knowledge” and a commitment to serve their community that directly contributes to solving current and future environmental challenges. Despite being underserved by Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as environmental movements and careers, these students report a greater commitment to addressing social justice issues than their White peers. However, these student perspectives and voices are often missing from the content and conversation in geoscience classes and environmental movements. To support geoscience workforce needs, climate literacy, and address environmental justice issues in the SJV and beyond, there is a critical need to engage students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, especially students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities. Here, we share our results from the past two years, where we leveraged several initiatives to support the development of holistic, youth-led and community-centric geoscience outreach efforts. Definitive features of these efforts include externally funded programs such as California Climate Action Corps (CCAC), Central Valley College Corps (CVCC), Community-Based Research Assistantships (CBRA), Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) and Americorps, all of which are designed to financially support students or early career professionals. Utilizing the structure and resources provided through these programs, combined with additional grant funding, we integrated youth-led education and outreach into curriculum, co-curricular activities and student life across our campus. These efforts also contribute to the >1 million hours of service our university provides each year to our local communities.