INTRODUCING ECOCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES IN A GENERAL EDUCATION EARTH SYSTEMS COURSE

The working adult student interest in science in our unit of the university is focused on requirements for the student’s major program or pre-health curriculum, none of which require geoscience. To build interest in geoscience, we have added significant focus on human-centered concepts to general science geoscience courses, with an initial trial in ecotourism and this year we are adding ecocultural concepts to an Earth systems course. The demographics of our undergraduate students are reported as about 60% Black or African American, 25% White, 7% Hispanic/Latino, 4% Asian, 1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; with about 55% over the age of 30, and about 80% female (gender reporting choices are being revised).

This presentation describes a strategy to develop interest from nontraditional students who have not normally enrolled in geoscience courses. A revised geoscience course has a service-learning component to develop earth systems information for students in a communications capstone course to use to creat a campaign to promote the ecocultural values of three parks within the city of Atlanta, GA. Collaboration with a non-profit park advocacy organization and interest from a city office is guiding the outcomes of the service-learning activity. Initial data from the pilot course, faculty interest, and potential student market are presented.