Building Pathways into the Geosciences for a Hispanic Community of Learners in El Paso
Abstract
Our goal is to expand minority participation in the geosciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) by increasing the number of Hispanic students who major in either Geological Sciences or a new interdisciplinary program in Environmental Sciences. UTEP has an enrollment of ca. 15,000 students of which 70% are Hispanic and 10% are Mexican Nationals and is one of the largest Hispanic-serving institutions in the country. The demographics of the UTEP student body (85% of whom come from the El Paso region) reflect those of our dominantly Hispanic metroplex of more than 2 million inhabitants on both sides of the US-Mexican border. We are taking a two-pronged approach to building a community of aspiring geoscientists in El Paso. First, we are establishing an outreach program to enhance awareness of the geosciences among local high school students. The centerpiece of this program is a two-week summer camp for high school juniors that will expose 75 students and 15 teachers to a variety of topics in the geosciences and demonstrate how the biology, chemistry, and physics covered in high school courses integrates with geoscience. Second, we are building a Research Experience for our undergraduates by offering stipends to college students in exchange for progress towards a bachelors degree in Geological or Environmental Sciences and participation in research with geoscience faculty and graduate students. Since January, 2002, we have had 7 undergraduate students, 15 high school students, and three teachers participate in our program.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002AGUFMED71B0054M
- Keywords:
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- 6605 Education;
- 6630 Workforce