GP-IMPACT: Career paths for urban geoscientists: Recruitment, retention, and apprenticeship
That is the title of a new NSF-funded grant to our department (PIs: J. Nyquist, L. Toran, A. Davatzes, and C. Brandt) that started Fall, 2016 and runs for three years. The details of the award can be found here, but the over-arching goal is drawing more students into the geosciences, helping them complete their degrees, and placing them into meaningful careers.
My component involves boosting retention by supporting students through their required two semesters of calculus. I’m organizing Math Mentors recruited from our upper-level geoscience majors to serve as study-buddies and math coaches. The hope is that pairing new students with someone in their field of study rather than a math major will provide a coach who understands their struggles and can provide help and encouragement. The mentor will benefit as well by reinforcing his or her own understanding.
We’ve created a GeoPATH website here, where you can learn all about the program!