Increasing Geoscience Diversity Through Undergraduate Mentoring in Dual-Enrollment High School Introductory Earth Science Courses

Cohort: 2019
Fellow: Joel Johnson

(Project completed 2021) Geosciences are one of the least diverse STEM fields in terms of participation by people from underrepresented minority groups. The problem addressed by my project is that Hispanic students in both high school and college not only have relatively little exposure to geoscience knowledge, but also have little exposure to geoscience career paths/opportunities, relatively few role models from similar backgrounds, and may feel like outsiders in geoscience departments at the university level. These factors influence our ability to both attract Hispanic students and have them thrive in geoscience and environmental science fields. I propose to develop a mentoring plan in which current UT students majoring in geoscience and related disciplines (e.g. natural sciences, geography) work with OnRamps Earth Wind and Fire classes, a dual-enrollment geoscience course taken by high school students across Texas. The underlying rationale is first that the high school students will learn not only geoscience knowledge, but also about being a college student majoring in geoscience or related fields, from a near-peer mentor who in some cases may have a similar life experience, and when possible similar ethnic and racial identities.  This role-model relationship has the potential to allow more high school students—and their families--to see geoscience-related fields as viable educational and career paths.  Second, the program is also designed to help the mentors build a community of practice among their peers, to develop professional skills which will help with future employment, and to provide an opportunity for outreach and giving back to communities like theirs.