The Watershed Watch project will recruit students from entry-level undergraduate populations and engage them in authentic and relevant activities selected from a broad range of STEM disciplines. We will attract and retain these students by intentionally building equitable learning environments designed to meet their unique needs. A genuine partnership between UNH and ECSU, as well as with local community and technical colleges, represents a unique combination of expertise in "best practices" in recruiting and retaining these students, proven mentoring skills, diversity in the participating faculty, and relevant faculty research experience. A particular focus will be placed on recruiting and retaining underrepresented students in STEM disciplines.
This project will form the basis for the development of an effective model to increase STEM majors by encouraging entry-level students (undeclared and two-year Associate Degree candidates) to major in STEM disciplines. Society will benefit through 1) a larger STEM workforce that is more diverse; 2) students with experience in using geospatial technologies to address collaborative, multidisciplinary studies; and 3) students who are more aware of the interrelationships between physical, biological, and social sciences in determining the extent and impact of human actions, both direct (land use change) and indirect (climate change). In addition, Watershed Watch students will produce research and outreach products of relevance to other students, as well as to the general public.
A strategic and aggressive dissemination strategy will ensure broader impacts on a national scale. High quality curriculum, website support, and a rigorous evaluation will be the basis for conducting half-day workshops at the annual conferences of professional scientific organizations.
