| While our proposed goals and benchmarks may seem ambitious, they are realistic based on our experience in Project SMART and Project Lake Watch. Metrics were kept for Project SMART on participating-student college enrollment decisions for the first three years of the program. Of the high school seniors participating in Project SMART in 1991, 1992, and 1993, an average of 62% applied to UNH following their Project SMART experience, and 24% of these actually enrolled at UNH, all in STEM disciplines. In Project Lake Watch, 100% of the seven sophomores and juniors recruited graduated as STEM majors. Clearly, the experience of the Project SMART summer institute, and the Project Lake Watch summer institute and AY Seminar, had a strong influence on student decisions to enter UNH (in the case of Project SMART) or to stay in STEM majors (in Project Lake Watch). In 2004, several Project SMART students presented their summer research projects at the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting (see Letter from Professor Jordanova in Appendix A). We propose these same methods (Summer Research Institute and AY Seminar) to recruit and retain STEM majors at UNH and ECSU.
The WW Summer Research Institute will be designed as a multidisciplinary introduction to the two very different watersheds, focusing on the geologic, hydrologic, biologic, and human aspects of the forces responsible for the current drainage basins (see Appendix B for schedule of the 2006 summer program). Erosion and drainage patterns determined using satellite imagery will be compared and contrasted, and an analysis of human impacts, both past and present, will be presented as a dominant factor on both watersheds. All of these disciplines involve calculations and modeling, so the appropriate mathematics will be introduced as needed. Also, some of the hydrologic aspects are fundamental to civil engineering, introducing students to engineering applications associated with these natural processes.
The WW Summer Research Institute will combine cutting edge science knowledge and methodology with a human touch. Careful attention will be paid to creating a supportive and equitable environment in which the students can feel comfortable learning relevant, authentic science in an inquiry-based manner. Several pedagogical techniques will be employed to enhance the teaching during the summer institute. Every five students will be assigned a mentor whose job is to support the students during the Summer Research Institute. Team spirit will be initiated during the team building exercises scheduled during the first night of the Institute, as well as the three days of hiking and camping on Mount Moosilauke.
Reflective journaling will be used during the Summer Research Institute and the AY Seminar to help students articulate not only their scientific progress but to track feelings of inclusion, experiences that engender strong negative or positive emotions, and under what conditions students feel connected to the world of science and mathematics. This journal will be used as discussion points so that students can have a chance to discuss the joys and the frustrations of applying math and science to real-world issues. We will use the journaling approach recommended by Leslie et. al. (1999) as a way to help the students understand the watershed landscape. Exercises will include reading the landscape, giving voice to the voiceless, shifting frames of reference, and visualizing the future of the watershed. These techniques, along with inquiry-based science, will ensure that students feel valued and supported during their exploration of STEM disciplines.
The Academic Year WW Seminar will be a second key element of the WW plan, involving WW (STEM) faculty and WW undergraduate students. The Academic Year Seminar will be a two hour, weekly, seminar supported by Learn Linc, a distance learning web-based software will be used to connect students on different campuses. Learn Linc allows students to communicate in real time through the use of interactive voice technology, instant messaging, and sharing computer screens and programs during class. The seminar will be led by one of the faculty from the summer institute and will be designed to support the students in their pursuit of their research/outreach projects and to advance their interest in STEM disciplines by covering relevant topics such as career awareness, academic preparation for STEM degrees, summer opportunities in STEM fields, connection to professional organizations, and strategies to negotiate the world of science. Experts and role models will be brought in to help with the seminar. The WW students will be mentored by participating WW faculty members on the UNH, ECSU and/or selected community/technical college campuses. Student participation in the academic year seminars will also facilitate specialization within STEM areas.
Students participating in the AY Seminar will be required to design and conduct either an individual or team research or outreach project. The research project may be based on approaches and methods learned during the summer institute, and should focus on a topic of specific interest to the student(s). The outreach project could be developed for use in the classroom (K-16) or could be designed for use in an informal setting (a museum or science center). Students will be required to present their projects at an Undergraduate Research Conference held at either UNH or ECSU in the end of each year.
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