CREATING MEANINGFUL PATHWAYS FOR UNDERSERVED HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH TO ENTER THE GEOSCIENCES: THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA’S CORE PROJECT

The aim of the Science Museum of Minnesota’s (SMM) Connecting Opportunities for Research Experiences in the Geosciences (CORE) project is to develop inclusive pathways for high school students to enter undergraduate programs and careers in the geosciences. This NSF GEOPAths-funded project brings together two highly successful groups within SMM: the St. Croix Watershed Research Station (SCWRS), a field research station specializing in primary research in the geosciences, and the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (KAYSC), a group that specializes in out-of-school programming for underserved youth with the goals of building leadership skills, career and workforce development, and fostering confidence in STEM. The specific goals of CORE are 1) to engage KAYSC youth in a defined and meaningful research project in paleolimnology, working alongside SCWRS scientists on a project within the student’s community, 2) to provide KAYSC youth with access to geoscience undergraduate programs and careers by creating a regional network of college faculty and geoscience professionals, and 3) to train adult mentors (both internal and external to SMM) in STEM Justice practices. We will describe successes, challenges, and evaluation summaries from year one and updates on how the program is evolving in year two. The length of time of the program has allowed for significant relationships to be built between youth and scientific mentors, and the SCWRS/KAYSC partnership has allowed the youth to work alongside scientists while still receiving the support of an established youth development program. 

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Joy Ramstack Hobbs, Science Museum of Minnesota (jramstack@smm.org)

Authors:

Joy Ramstack Hobbs, Science Museum of Minnesota  (jramstack@smm.org)

Kelsey Boeff, Science Museum of Minnesota  (kboeff@smm.org)

Thulani Jwacu, Science Museum of Minnesota  (tjwacu@smm.org)

Robby Callahan Schreiber, Science Museum of Minnesota  (rschreiber@smm.org)

Evelyn Christian Ronning, Science Museum of Minnesota  (eronning@smm.org)

Lienne Sethna, Science Museum of Minnesota  (lsethna@smm.org)

Amelia Wilson-Jackson, Science Museum of Minnesota  (wil00513@umn.edu)

Zoe Plechaty, Science Museum of Minnesota  (zplechaty@smm.org)