STARTING WITH A & B: DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING ACCESS AND BELONGING IN GEOSCIENCE FIELD CAMP AND OTHER GEOSCIENCE EXPERIENCES

Field camp is a quintessential geoscience experience for both graduate and undergraduate students. More than most other courses, geoscience field camp integrates information learned across an undergraduate curriculum, highlights the importance of conscientious collaboration, and can build discipline-specific confidence in both undergraduate students and graduate teaching assistants. Unfortunately, field camp has also been shown to be a major barrier to participation and success in geoscience. Some geoscience programs have removed field camp from their curriculums entirely, while others have attempted to address the monetary cost, time commitment and physical requirements of a standard 4 to 6-week field camp. Left out of the conversation, however, is that accessibility extends beyond the financial and the physical, and that the experiences and expectations of field camp can be major barriers to student success or even continued participation in geoscience.

I discuss ongoing research on access and belonging in geoscience field camp, including qualitative and quantitative data from student surveys, contextual curriculum exercises, and direct participation in Pennsylvania State University’s geoscience field camp. Grounded in this and related historical research, I offer approaches and strategies that faculty can integrate into their teaching, research, and philosophies, improving field camp and other geoscience experiences for undergraduates and graduate teaching assistants. I additionally explore visions for a future in which field camp continues to be a quintessential geoscience experience—for all geoscientists.