DRAWING ON STUDENTS’ FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE TO SUPPORT GEOSCIENCE CAREER EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PREPARATION

To support future geoscience workforce needs and address environmental justice issues in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), California, and beyond, there is a critical need to create inclusive learning environments and career pathways for students that have been traditionally marginalized and excluded from the geosciences. Our project is a multi-institution effort to strengthen professional networks and streamline geoscience student educational pathways in the SJV by developing a cohort-based student support system, community-based research projects, and professional learning community of geoscience faculty.

Our collaboration spanned two-year colleges (State Center Community College District) and a regionally comprehensive university (Fresno State), where most (80%) students have grown up locally and most (>80%) live and work in the SJV after graduation. By centering students’ voices, perspectives, and lived experiences in our geoscience learning ecosystem, we aimed to create opportunities for students to leverage their funds of knowledge in community-based research projects and make connections between their career aspirations and social values.

Overall, 12 faculty and 10 students from four different institutions engaged in professional development to integrate locally-relevant environmental issues, project-based learning, and career competencies into geoscience courses; 13 courses were re-designed from general education to upper division major courses; and 15 students served as paid Community-Based Research Assistants to support partnerships with community-based organizations and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences in seven different courses at Fresno State.

We conducted pre-post course surveys, focus groups, and open-ended surveys to assess student attitudes about geoscience issues and careers. Results indicate that interest in geoscience-related careers increased from pre- to post-survey, though many students expressed a lack of knowledge about specific geoscience careers. First-generation students rated the importance of helping people/society and working in an office higher than continuing-generation students. Overall, findings from this project can inform efforts to broaden participation and career preparation in the geosciences.