GP-IN: Air Across Texas: Scattered and Supported: A program introducing high school students from underrepresented groups to air quality monitoring, research, and careers

GP-IN：德克萨斯州各地的空气：分散和支持：该计划向弱势群体的高中生介绍空气质量监测、研究和职业

• 批准号: 2325570
• 负责人: Karin Ardon-Dryer
• 金额: $ 32.06万
• 依托单位: Texas Tech University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2325570&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; Air; Across; Texas; Scattered

Geoscience programs across the nation have seen a decline in enrollment, which will impact the geoscience workforce. A strong geoscience workforce is needed to build a resilient planet and help address issues important to the well-being of the nation, including air pollution, environmental change, extreme weather, and the compounding impacts that these events will produce. The geoscience fields remains some of the least diverse among the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The project Air Across Texas (AAT) will support high school students from underrepresented backgrounds in science to encourage them to pursue undergraduate degrees in STEM focusing on atmospheric science. The project will provide knowledge and research experiences for the students but will also support their parents/guardians enabling them to learn STEM concepts and educational avenues, enhancing the support of the next generation of scientists. At the end of the project a traveling lab kit will be developed and distributed to a network of high school teachers across the region with a preference for rural school districts that have limited access to resources.Air Across Texas will introduce high school students from across Texas (mainly from rural areas) to atmospheric science topics, with a focus on air quality. The goals of the project are to 1) Improve students’ knowledge and skills in research and atmospheric science topics (with a focus on air quality) 2. Increase STEM interest and STEM self-efficacy of high school students. 3. Increase parental awareness of STEM concepts, careers, and collegiate opportunities. 4. Introduce students to college experiences and STEM careers, increasing collegiate belongingness. The project goals will support the student’s engagement and interest in scientific fields, emphasizing the quality and development of the research process. It will use hands-on and project-based learning to foster students’ understanding on how to use a research-based approach when encountering challenging scientific concepts or subjects. AAT will operate in three phases including virtual and in-person settings, emphasizing parallel active learning and teamwork. In phase-1, in an online setting, students will be introduced to different scientific topics to increase their knowledge and prepare them for phase-2. During phase-2, student activities will focus on research learning activities. Each student will perform a research-based project using a low-cost air quality sensor that will be placed in their homes. In phase-3, students will take part in a 1-week Summer Research Symposium (SRS) at Texas Tech University (TTU), participating in cohort building and scientific activities to prepare them for college experiences. Parents or guardians will also participate at the beginning of SRS and learn about potential STEM careers, collegiate opportunities, and ways to support their children pursuing STEM. At the end of SRS, the students will present their research in a conference setting and will have university applications ready for submission. Students who complete the program will be invited to present their research at the Transformative Undergraduate Experiences Symposium held every year in the fall semester at TTU.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

全国各地的地球科学项目入学人数有所下降，这将影响地球科学劳动力，以建设一个有弹性的地球并帮助解决对国家福祉重要的问题，包括空气污染、环境变化。 、极端天气以及这些事件将产生的复合影响，地球科学领域仍然是科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 领域中最不多样化的领域。 德克萨斯州空气 (AAT) 项目将支持高中。来自科学背景代表性不足的学生鼓励他们攻读以大气科学为重点的 STEM 本科学位 该项目将为学生提供知识和研究经验，同时也将支持他们的父母/监护人，使他们能够学习 STEM 概念和教育途径，从而增强对下一代的支持。在项目结束时，将开发一个旅行实验室工具包，并将其分发给该地区的高中教师网络，优先考虑资源有限的农村学区。Air Across Texas 将介绍高中生。从德克萨斯州各地（主要是农村地区）到大气该项目的目标是 1) 提高学生在研究和大气科学主题（重点是空气质量）方面的知识和技能 2. 提高学生的 STEM 兴趣和 STEM 自我效能。 3. 提高家长对 STEM 概念、职业和大学机会的认识 4. 向学生介绍大学经历和 STEM 职业，提高大学归属感 该项目的目标将支持学生对科学领域的参与和兴趣。强调研究过程的质量和发展，它将通过实践和基于项目的学习来培养学生在遇到具有挑战性的科学概念或主题时如何使用基于研究的方法的理解，AAT 将分三个阶段进行。虚拟和面对面的环境，强调并行主动学习和团队合作在第一阶段，在在线环境中，学生将了解不同的科学主题，以增加他们的知识，并为第二阶段做好准备。活动将侧重于研究性学习活动。学生将使用放置在家中的低成本空气质量传感器执行一个基于研究的项目。在第三阶段，学生将参加德克萨斯理工大学 (TTU) 为期 1 周的夏季研究研讨会 (SRS)。 ），参加队列建设和科学活动，为他们的大学经历做好准备。家长或监护人也将在 SRS 开始时参与，了解潜在的 STEM 职业、大学机会以及支持他们的孩子追求 SRS 的方法。将要在会议环境中展示他们的研究成果，并准备好提交大学申请。完成该课程的学生将被邀请在 TTU 每年秋季学期举行的变革性本科生体验研讨会上展示他们的研究成果。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命。通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，并被认为值得支持。