Broadening Participation in the Geosciences: How does one scale a successful and small-scale approach?

In the US, there is an effort to increase the nation's investment in science and engineering, and a growing concern that America's workforce is under prepared to participate in these fields. For example, a recent report published by the US National Academy of Science notes that US 12th graders perform below the international average for 21 countries on a test of general knowledge in math and science. At the same time, the demographics of the US are changing rapidly. By 2050, according the US Census Bureau, more than 50% of US residents will be members of groups that have been minorities historically. Given the persistent under representation of students from minority groups in science and engineering, efforts to enhance US competitiveness in science and engineering must include significant efforts to engage and encourage students from historically under-represented groups.

Within this larger context, efforts to broaden participation in the geosciences are especially important. One reason is that geoscience ranks among the least diverse of all the sciences in the US. According to the American Institute of Physics, only about 1.5% of the PhD's earned in geosciences in the US went to Latino or Hispanic graduates, in spite of the fact that Latinos and Hispanics comprise 17% of the US population between 18 and 30. Another reason the need to broaden participation in the geosciences is particularly acute is the pressing nature of the problems our science seeks to address; like understanding and responding to climate change. Finally, addressing issues like climate change require global participation. The US will be better able to collaborate internationally when it can successfully engage its own citizens.

In 1995, with the support of the National Science Foundation, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), began a small, innovative program to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in the U.S. enrolled in graduate school in the atmospheric sciences and, thereafter, entering the professional workforce with advanced degrees. SOARS® (Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science) seeks to foster the next generation of leaders in the atmospheric and related sciences by helping students develop investigative expertise complemented by leadership and communication skills. SOARS combines multiple summer research experiences with intensive, multidimensional mentoring and a robust learning community to help undergraduate students complete college and make successful transitions into graduate school.

After ten years, SOARS has been widely recognized through formal and informal assessments as a successful program. Ninety-eight protégés have participated in the program, and only 9 have failed to meet program requirements. Of the 65 students to have earned Bachelor's degrees already, 55 went on to enter graduate school.

The success of SOARS is, in large part, driven by its focus on providing a relatively small number of students with holistic, in-depth support. The very power of this small-scale approach, however, leads to a fundamental challenge when contrasted with the larger national-scale context outlined in the first paragraph. This challenge is one shared by many successful innovations in education, where a key part of the innovation is the smallness of the program that allows focused attention. The challenge is to sustain and broaden an innovative program in a way that can be transformative. In other words, how does one take an innovative idea, successful in small-scales, and turn that into a systemic change? The conclusion of this talk will focus on asking these questions, which will be relevant to many EWOC participants, in a venue that can allow multiple perspectives to contribute to an ongoing discussion.