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ANNUALREPORT

CollaborativeResearch:GP-EXTRA:Geo-Launchpad:PreparingColoradoCommunityCollegeStudentsforGeoscience–FocusedCareers

GrantPeriod:December3,2015–December2,2018ReportingPeriod:December3,2015–December2,2016

UNAVCOInvestigators:DonnaJ.CharlevoixandAishaR.MorrisFrontRangeCommunityCollegeInvestigators:PatrickL.ShabramandShashiUnnithan

AwardIDs:1540524,1540588

Program-track:IUSE-GeoPaths-EngagedStudentLearning:Exploration

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AccomplishmentsWhatarethemajorgoalsoftheproject?

TheIUSEprogram:TheGeo-LaunchpadProgram(GLP)isacollaborativeeffortbetweenFrontRangeCommunityCollegeandUNAVCO,anon-profit,university-governedconsortiumthatfacilitatesgeoscienceresearchandeducation,toprovidecommunitycollegestudentsinColoradowithexperientiallearningopportunitiesingeosciencethroughsummerinternshipprogramsthatimparttechnicalknowledgeanddevelopmentofstudents’softskillsforadvancementalongcareerpathwaysinthegeosciences.Theprojectalsobuildscurriculumandnewinstructionmaterialstosupporttheseandotherinternship/employmentopportunities,careerexplorationandworkshops,andamentorshipprogram.Theprojecthasthreeoverallgoals:

GOAL1:Buildstudents’interestandcapacitytoengageingeoscience-focusedSTEM(science,technology,engineering,mathematics)careerpathways.

GOAL2:ProfessionaldevelopmentofcommunitycollegeSTEMfacultyasmentorstostudentsingeosciencefocusedcareers.

GOAL3:Increasethenumberofstudentsfromcommunitycollegesthattransitiontogeoscience-focusedcareers.

Whatwasaccomplishedunderthesegoals?

MajorActivities

Twotracksofprimaryactivitytookplace.Thefirstoftheseactivitieswastoprovideacademicpathwaysforstudentstolearn,engage,andpursuefurtheracademic,research,andcareeropportunitiesinSTEMrelatedfields.ThesecondoftheseactivitiesinvolvedasummerinternshipforstudentsatUNAVCOinBoulder,Colorado.

AcademicPathwaysTheprimaryacademicactivityoftheGeo-Launchpadprogramisthedevelopmentofcurriculumtohelpstudentslearnaboutinternshipopportunitiesfortwo-yearstudents,currentresearchandresearchtechniques,andcareersandcareerpathsintheSTEMrelatedfields,withanemphasisonthegeosciences.OtheractivitiesincludedoncampusseminarstolearnabouttheGeo-Launchpadinternshipsandothercareeropportunities,andprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesforfacultyattwo-yearcolleges.

CurriculumDevelopment–apilotprojectcourse,“ExplorationofInternships/CareersintheGeosciences”wasofferedasaonecreditcourseattheLarimerCampusofFrontRangeCommunityCollege.Followingareexpectationsthatwereestablishedforthecourse:

Uponcompletionofthiscourse,studentsshouldhaveabetterunderstandingofthegeosciences,thescientificmethod,andbeabletousethetoolsandtechniquesofspatialanalysisto:

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• Identifyandprovideinformationoncurrentoutsideinternshipopportunitiesingeosciences,environmentalscience,atmosphericsciences,andrelatedfieldsopentoColoradocommunitycollegestudents

• Exploreresearchingeosciencesincludingliterature,researchtools,techniques,andterminology• Discusscareeropportunitiesinthegeosciences.• Discusscareerssuitedtostudentsinthegeosciencesinprofessionsoutsidethegeosciences• Explaincourseworkbestsuitedforcareersinthegeosciences• Identifyfouryearcollegeswithdegreeprogramsinrelatedfields• Developwritingandcriticalanalysisskillsofscientificpapers• Prepareresumesorcurriculumvitaeforinternshipsorjobopportunities

Thecourseincludedpresentationsofinternshipopportunities(includingbutnotlimitedtotheGeo-Launchpadinternshipopportunity),studentinvestigationofcurrentresearchinthegeosciences,informationontransferopportunitiestofouryearcolleges,expectationofcoursesrequiredforadmissiontofour-yearcollegesandfuturecareers,afieldtriptoUNAVCO,andguestspeakers.GuestspeakersincludedarepresentativefromtheResearchExperienceforCommunityCollegeStudents(RECCS)attheCooperativeInstituteforResearchintheEnvironmentalSciences(CIRES),aretiredhydrologistfromtheUnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey(USGS),ageographerfromtheUniversityofNorthernColorado,andaformerinternwiththeRECCSprogram.

Uponcompletionofthispilotcourse,apermanentcourse,renamed“GEO210Careers/ResearchintheGeosciences,”waspresentedandtoandapprovedbytheFrontRangeCommunityCollegecurriculumcommittee,andpresentedtoandapprovedunanimouslybytheStateFacultyCurriculumCommittee(SFCC)forinclusionintheColoradoCommunityCollegeCommonCourseNumberingSystem(CCNS).Thecourseisnowavailableforadoptionbycommunitycollegesthroughoutthestate.

Seminar–SeminarswerepresentedatthethreemainFrontRangeCommunityCollegecampuses,theWestminsterCampus,theBoulderCountyCampus,andtheLarimerCampus.TheseseminarswereledbyUNAVCOpersonnelandFrontRangeCommunityCollegefaculty.Bothstudentsandfacultywerewelcometoattend.TheseseminarsincludedinformationonUNAVCO,informationontheGeo-Launchpadinternship,recommendedcourseworkforinternshipsliketheGeo-Launchpadinternship,andaquestionandanswersession.

ProfessionalDevelopmentforFaculty–InadditiontoprofessionaldevelopmentofferedthroughthefacultymentorprogramassociatedwiththeUNAVCOinternships(discussedlater),facultywereofferedopportunitiestolearnofinternships,careers,andrecentresearchinthegeosciencesforthepurposeofpassingthisknowledgeontostudents.Facultywereinvitedtotheabovenotedseminars.Further,earthsciencefacultyandcollegeadministrationwereinvitedtoattendanendofinternshippostersession,whichincludedUNAVCOinternsandresearchfromstudentsthroughmultipleREUopportunitiesprovidedbyBoulder,Coloradoarearesearchrelatedinstitutions.

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Internship

TheprimaryactivityfortheGeo-LaunchpadprogramisasummerinternshipforColoradocommunitycollegestudents.Thefocusoftheinternshipistohelpdevelopresearchreadyskills,ratherthanconductingscientificresearch.InternsspenteightweeksofthesummerworkingattheUNAVCOfacilityinBoulder,Colorado.Theirexperienceincludedthefollowingmajoractivities:

1. Team-BuildingWorkshop.Duringorientationweek,internsparticipatedinanafternoonofactivitiesemphasizedinteam-building.Throughthevariousactivities,internswereabletoexploreeach-others'skillsets,personalities,andworkethicsbycollaboratingasateamtoproblem-solveandcompletetheexercises.Internsreportedparticipatinginthisworkshophelpedto'breaktheice'andgainfamiliarityoftheirteammatesearlyonintheprogram.

2. ResearchSupportProject.InternsworkedcollaborativelyinteamsonaresearchsupportprojectunderthedirectsupervisionofUNAVCOtechnicalstaff.StudentswereprovidedofficespacewithintheUNAVCOfacilityandanyrequiredcomputingresourcesandsupplies.Technicaltrainingwasprovidedthroughouttheexperience.

3. GeologyFieldTrips.Internsparticipatedintwogeosciencefieldtrips.Earlyinthesummer,Geo-LaunchpadinternsvisitedRockyMountainNationalParkalongwithupper-divisionundergraduateinterns,graduateinterns,andpostgraduateinterns.ThefieldtripfocusedonthegeologicalhistoryoftheRockyMountainsandincludedatourfromanenvironmentalgeosciencevolunteer.TheinternsalsojoinedstudentsfromtheRESESS(ResearchExperienceinSolidEarthScienceforStudents)internshipprogramforanovernightfieldtriptotheUniversityofColorado(CU)MountainResearchStation,ledbyCUfacultyandgraduatestudents.Bothfieldtripsprovidedinternstheopportunitytointeractwithotherstudentsinvaryinglevelsoftheirgeoscienceeducationwhilelearningaboutthelocalgeology.

4. Communicationsworkshop.Internsparticipatedinweeklyworkshopsfornon-academic,formal,andinformalcommunicationsasastudentandascientist.

5. GeoscienceCareerCircles.Guestspeakersfromvariousgeo-workforcesectorsjoinedtheinternsoverluncheveryWednesdayforaninformaldiscussionabouttheirjobsandcareerpaths.Sectorsincludedindustry,research,academia,government,non-profit,andconsulting.StudentsfromotherinternshipprogramswithinUNAVCOalsoparticipatedwhichledtoabroadscopeofdiscussionduringthequestionandanswerperiod.TheinternsreportedtheGeoscienceCareerCirclesasoneofthemostbeneficialelementsoftheinternshipexperience.

6. SkillsSeminar.Internsmetweeklyforaskillsseminarthatprovidedtrainingontopicsincludingorganization,timemanagement,emailetiquette,andbasicsofselectsoftwarepackagesincludingMicrosoftExcel,GoogleEarth,andAdobeIllustrator.

7. CommunicationwithFacultyMentors.Internscommunicatedwithfacultymentorsthroughoutthesummersharingworkhighlightsandinternshipsummaries.Thisallowedtheirfacultymentorstostayabreastoftheintern’sexperiences.

8. ProjectDissemination.Studentspresentedtheirworkinapostersessionattheendofthesummer.Internsfromsimilargeosciencesummerprogramsalsoparticipated,totalingover65posterspresented.

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FacultyMentorship.TheGeo-LaunchpadProgramincludesfacultymentorshiptodevelopasupportiverelationshipwithafacultymemberfromtheintern’shomeinstitutioninordertoensuretheycontinueonapathtoacareerinscience,technology,orengineering.AllinternsappliedwithaFacultyMentorwhoprovidedsupportbefore,during,andaftertheinternship.Facultymentorswereaskedto:

• Writealetterofrecommendationforthestudentaspartoftheapplicationprocess.• Regularlycommunicatewiththeinternabouttheirwork/researchthroughoutthesummer

internship.• TraveltoUNAVCOinBoulderonJuly27and28toparticipateinaworkshoponmentoring

studentsandattendtheintern’sposterpresentation.• ConductoneformalmeetingwiththestudentintheFall2016semestertodiscusscareerpaths,

opportunitiesoncampus,howtostayconnectedtothescientificcommunity,andanyotheradvicethatwillhelpthestudentinpursuitoftheiracademicandprofessionalgoals.Thestudentisrequiredtosubmitareportofthismeeting,andfacultywillreceiveanhonorariumfortheirsupportoftheUNAVCOinterns.Facultyarealsoencouragedtosetupadditionalmeetingswiththestudenttomaintainamentoringrelationshipwiththestudent.

SpecificObjectives

Datawere collected by an external evaluator using both formative and summative elements utilizingmixed-methodsmeasuresincludingpre-postinternsurveysandstudentandfacultyinterviews.Studentevaluations of the special topics course were also collected from students who participated in thiscourse.Overall,first-yearbenchmarksweremet.

Fivestudentsparticipatedinthespecialtopicscourseaddressinginternshipopportunities,careers,andresearch in the geosciences. All five completed the course. Student feedback forms (standard to thecollege)were completed by four of the five students. Three students strongly agreed that theywerechallengedtothinkinnewwaysfromthecourse,withonestudentagreeingthathewaschallengedtothinkinnewways.Nearlyeverystudentspecificallynotedvalueinthecourseandspecificallyidentifiedan increaseknowledgeof careers ingeosciences. Students’only compliantabout the course is that itwasnotlonger.

Theinternshipalsoprovedtobehighlysuccessful,addingtoUNAVCO’ssuccesswiththeGeo-Launchpadpilotinternshipruninsummer2015.Thefiveinternsselectedwerehighlyenthusiastic(oneinternwasunable to complete the internship), aswereUNAVCO staffworkingwith the interns and four facultymentors.Keyevaluationfindingsaresummarizedbelow.DatawerecollectedusingamodifiedversionoftheUndergraduateResearchStudentSelf-Assessment(URSSA)instrument(Hunter,Weston,Laursen&Thiry,2009).TheURSSAwasdevelopedwithfundingfromtheNationalScienceFoundationtoassessstudents’ personal, professional, and intellectual outcomes from participating in undergraduateresearch,includingREUexperiences.BecauseGeo-Launchpadisnotstrictlyaresearchinternship,itemswere adapted to better fit the technical and fieldwork of the Geo-Launchpad internship. The surveygains scales items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral,4=agree,5=stronglyagree).Surveyscalesincludenetworking/collaboration,intellectualgains,scientific

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communication, organizational skills, technical skills, career knowledge and career preparation. Thesurveyalsomeasuresotheraspectsoftheinternshipexperience,includingtheimpactoftheinternshipsonstudents’educationalandcareeraspirations.

Careerknowledgeandpreparation

• Students displayed themost growth in career knowledge (surveymean on career knowledgescalerosefrom3.0to4.19ona5-pointscale).

• All4studentsreportedthattheGLPprogramhadstrengthenedtheircommitmenttotheirpre-existinggoals,includingpursuingabachelor’sdegreeand/orgraduatestudyingeoscienceandafuturegeosciencecareer.

• All students reported that their knowledge about geoscience career options increasedsubstantially(e.g.,surveymeanincreasedfrom2.75to4.25ona5-pointscale).

• All students feltmoreprepared to studygeoscienceat a 4-year institution (e.g., surveymeanincreasedfrom3.75to4.25ona5-pointscale).

• ThreestudentsreportedthattheyaremoreinterestedinpursuinggraduateschoolbecauseoftheGLPinternship.

Technicalandresearchskillsgains

• Studentsmadevery stronggrowth in technical skills/instrumentation (surveymean rose from2.62to3.38ona5-pointscale).

• Studentsbenefited fromworkingside-by-sidewithUNAVCOscientistsonrealworld,engagingprojectsthatinvolvedtrouble-shootingandproblemsolving.

Scientificcommunicationskills

• Studentsalsomadestronggainsinscientificcommunicationskills(surveymeanrosefrom3.6to4.25ona5-pointscale).

• Students’knowledgeofhowtoprepareascientificposterincreasedmarkedly(surveymeanrosefrom3.0to4.5ona5-pointscale).

Adiscussionofspecificobjectivesfollows.

Goal1:Buildstudents’interestandcapacitytoengageingeoscience-focusedSTEMcareerpathways

Objective1.1:Increasestudentawarenessofacademicandcareeropportunitiesingeoscience-relatedfieldsviaawebsiteandelectronicmedia,workshops/seminars,webinarsandannualmini-symposiaatUNAVCO.

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Objective1.2:Increasestudents’knowledgeandskillsingeosciencefundamentals,methods,andtechniquestoprepareforinternshipexperiencethroughworkshops,symposia,andaspecialtopicscourseingeoscience.

SeminarsandclassvisitswereconductedatallthreecampusesofFrontRangeCommunityCollege.SeveralstudentsparticipatingintheseseminarsappliedfortheUNAVCOinternshipand/orenrolledinthespecialtopicscourse.Ofthe16completedapplicationsreceivedbyUNAVCOfortheinternship,allbutonewasfromFrontRangeCommunityCollege,suggestingthattheseminarsmayhaveplayedaninfluenceinstudents’participationintheGeo-Launchpadinternships.AtleastonefacultymentorlearnedoftheinternshipfromaGeo-Launchpadseminarandsharedtheopportunitywithhis/herstudents.

Fivestudentsparticipatedinthespecialtopicscourse,withstudentsreportinganincreasedawarenessofcareersandinternships.Ofthesefivestudents,threeappliedforinternshipsatbothUNAVCOandotherREUprograms.Twostudentshavesincetransferredorappliedandbeenacceptedforgeosciencerelatedprogramsatfouryearuniversities.

Goal2:ProfessionaldevelopmentofcommunitycollegeSTEMfacultyasmentorstostudentsingeosciencefocusedcareers.

Objective2.1:Increasefacultyknowledgeofexistingprivatesectorandgovernmentgeo-STEMcareersviaworkshops,networkingandsymposia

Objective2.2:DeveloppartnershipsbetweenfacultyandUNAVCOstaff tosupportstudents

Objective2.3Developresourcesforfacultymentoringandinstruction

Accordingtotheexternalevaluation,theGLPinternshipshadapositiveimpactonthefacultymentorsthemselves,expandingtheirawarenessofthedifferenttypesofprojectsundertakenbythegeoscienceworkforceandkeepingthemapprisedofcurrentworkinthefield.Severalfacultymembersnotedthatthisknowledgewillinfluencetheirteachingandworkwithstudents.FacultymentorsalsoreportedthattheyhadbecomebettermentorsfromtheexperiencebecausetheformalmentoringarrangementwithintheGLPprogrampromptedthemtobemoreintentionalintheirmentoring.Facultyalsofeltthattheyhadreceivedhelpfulmentoringresources.

Goal3:Increasethenumberofstudentsfromcommunitycollegesthattransitiontogeo-focusedcareers.

Objective3.1:Providestudentswithauthenticandexperientialopportunitiesingeoscience-relatedworkthroughinternshipsatUNAVCOinvolvingitsscienceandtechnologyconsortiummembers.

Student surveys and interviews demonstratemoderate to strong growth in all areas, with especiallystrong learning gains in the areas targeted by the GLP internship, including communication skills,

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technical/instrumentalskills,andknowledgeofgeosciencecareers.Students’strongestreportedgrowthon the pre-post survey was in knowledge of geoscience careers (see figure 1 on tables document).Students also reported strong growth in technical/instrumentation skills and communication skills.Students made moderate growth in other areas, such as organizational skills, intellectual gains, andcareer preparation, largely because they entered the program with stronger views of theirskills/knowledgeintheseareas,asdemonstratedbythehighpre-surveymeansinthoseareas.

SignificantResults

Ofthefivestudentsparticipatinginthespecialtopicscourse,threeofthestudentsappliedforinternshipsatbothUNAVCOandotherREUreceivingatotaloffourinternshipinvitations.AtleastonestudentsuccessfullytransferredtotheUniversityofNorthernColoradotopursueadegreeingeography,withanemphasisinphysicalgeographyandGIS.AnotherstudentparticipatingintheclasshasbeenacceptedtoColoradoStateUniversityinEcosystemScienceandSustainability.Studentwhocompletedthecourseidentifiedanincreaseinknowledgeofgeosciencecareers.Followingisalistofcommentsbystudentswhenaskedtoidentifyastrengthofthecourse:

ThisisthemostusefulclassI’vehadthisyear.

Thiswillhelpmepursueinternships,careers,andeducationinmyfieldmuchbetter.Ifeelmuchmoreprepared.

Challengedmywayofthinking.Learnedaboutnewoptionformyfuture.Providejobinternshipopportunities.

Students’ strongest growthover the summer internshipwas in their knowledgeof the careeroptionsavailableinthegeosciences.OneoftheprimarygoalsoftheGLPinternshipistointroducestudentstotherangeofcareersavailabletogeoscientistsandtoprovidestudentswiththeresourcestolearnmoreabout those careers. Students reported their highest gains from the internship in career knowledge,particularlyinunderstandinggeosciencecareeroptionsandtheirabilitytofindtheresourcesneededtolearn more about careers (see figure 2 in Tables document). Students also reported strong gains inunderstandingthedailyactivitiesandworkofgeoscienceprofessionals.

FacultymentorsandstudentsboththoughtthatoneofthemostvaluableaspectsoftheGLPinternshipwastheinteractionthatstudentshadwithavarietyofgeoscienceprofessionalsandtheopportunitytolearnmore about their work and career paths.Mentors felt that students’ career options had beenbroadened and that students might be encouraged to pursue career paths that they may not havepreviouslyconsidered.Commentsfrommentorsincluded:

Shehasbeenexposedtosomethingdifferent,shemighthavehadanideaofwhatshewantedtodowithherdegree,butnowthat'sbeenbroadenedalittlebit.Whenshegoestolookforajob,sheknowsthatshecanlookfartherandwiderforajobandshehasalittlebitmoreexperiencetobeabletodothat.

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Itsoundslikeshe'sstartingtolearnmoreaboutcareeroptionsandthinkingmoreaboutwhatcomesafterherBachelor'sdegree.Rightnow,that'stheimmediategoal.Afterthat,itsoundslikeshe'sbeennetworkingreallywellandlearningmoreaboutthoseoptionsbeyond.

Students also felt that they benefited the most during the internship from the opportunity to learnaboutgeosciencecareerpathsduringtheCareerCirclesandtoworkside-by-sidewiththeengineersatUNAVCO. The students particularly appreciated gaining a better understanding of the breadth ofgeoscience careers available and the often indirect paths that professionals followed to their currentcareers,asdemonstratedbythefollowingexchangeduringthefocusgroupinterview.

Speaker#1:Ithinkwhatwasreallybeneficialwastheabilitytojust,like,askpeoplewhoworkedintheirfields,allkindsofquestionsfromtheireducationtoday-to-day,anditgivesyouabetterideaof,maybeyouknewaboutthejob,vaguely,butnowyouknowmoredetails.

Speaker#2:Howtheygotthere,thecomplexandindirectroutesthattheytooktogetwherethey'reat.It'snotastraightline.

Speaker#3:ButIdefinitelylearnedmoreaboutwhateachoneofthemdid.Theytalkedabouteverythingthattheydo,anditwasveryenlightening,andthat'swhereyouwouldwanttogoifyou'dwanttopursuethat.

Students’secondstrongestgainswereintheirabilitytouseinstrumentationingeosciences.Studentsfeltthattheyalsogainedabetterawarenessofthemajorinstrumentsthatareusedingeoscience.Thus,studentsbecamemoreawareofthecommoninstrumentationusedinthedisciplineandgainedtheconfidenceandabilitytouseit(seefigure3inTablesdocument).

TechnicalSkills/Instrumentation

Technical skillswere students’ second largest gains according to the survey, and students extensivelydiscussed their growth in technical skills and abilities during the focus group interview. StudentsreportedthatworkingwiththeinstrumentationavailableatUNAVCOprovidedareal-worldcontextforthe science that theyhad learnedabout in coursework.Most importantly, theGLP internshipofferedopportunities that theywould not have in their coursework to apply their geoscience knowledge, asmentionedinthefollowingcommentfromafacultymentor.

Iguessbeingexposedtosuchahighlytechnicalfield,whichisverydifferentfromwhatwedidintheintroGISclassthisfall.Beingexposedandhavingthisopportunitytolearnallthesetechniquesthatcanbeusedforprettycomplexresearch.Weneverdoanythinglikethatinanyofourclassesreally.Havingthisopportunitygaveherthechancetolearnthingsthatshenevercouldlearnfromus.Howexcitedshewasaboutitaswell.

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HetalkedaboutthesurveyhehadbeendoingatSaintMary'sGlacier,whichwasreallycool, and spending time in the shop here, working on things and learning how thistechnologyworkswas totally exciting.We had talked about similar things in geologyclass so, he said that was good. Just the time being around these folks who are soknowledgeable. He'd never had any experience with that, so that was a greatopportunityforhim.

StudentsreportedthattheopportunitytolearnaboutavarietyofinstrumentsandtoactuallyusetheminthefieldwasthemostbeneficialaspectoftheGLPinternship.

Ilearnedanawfullotaboutawidevarietyofinstrumentation,it'sapplicableforanyfieldIgo,anydirectionIgofromhere.Wehadtheopportunitytohelpthefieldengineersquiteabitinpreparingfortheirupcomingseason,sowegotalotofhandsonwithawidevarietyofthedifferentthingsthattheywilluseoutthere.

Another student commentedon thevalueofworkingon theTLS teambecause itoffered theopportunity to not only learn new instrumentation but to learn how the data are used andappliedinareal-worldcontext.

IwasontheTLSteamwhichwastheTerrestrialLaserScanteam,andlearningaboutthatinstrumentwasreallyinteresting.WealsouseddifferentialGPS,sowewereworkingwithseveraldifferenttypesofGPS,andoneofthereallyinterestingpartswasworkingwithTrimble,seeinghowtheygatheralltheGPSdata,andactuallyworkwithitandturnitintosomethingtheycanuse.Thatwasreallycool.

Students appreciated the trust that the field engineers had in them to use important and valuableequipment.This,inturn,boostedtheirconfidencethattheycouldusesuchequipmentinthefutureandbesuccessfulinageosciencecareer.

Theactualhands-onresearchhelpsyou,atfirstyou’relike‘thisisareallyexpensivepieceofequipment,’butworkingwithitandtheytrusteduswithit,andyoujustprovetoyourselfthatyoucanfigureitoutandgetthereandgetsomeself-confidence.Andjustthevalueofworkingwiththefieldengineersandhearingtheirstorieswasgreat.

CommunicationsSkills

Students reported very strong growth in communication skills from the GLP internship, especially inareasmostrelatedtotheactivitiesthattheyengagedinduringtheGLPinternship.Similartolastyear,students’highestreportedcommunicationgainswereintheirabilitytoprepareascientificposter(seefigure 4). Students also reported strong growth in using data to discuss ideas in geosciences andunderstandingjournalarticlesingeoscience.

Althoughstudents’gainsinscientificcommunicationskillswereoneofthemostrobustoutcomesfromthe student survey, they discussed scientific communicationmuch less during the focus group, evenwhen prompted. Nevertheless, students commented that learning the processes of developing a

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scientific poster, communicating scientific findings, and using Adobe Illustrator were beneficialprofessionally,asnotedinthefollowingcommentfromthefocusgroup.

Ifeellikewegotavery,verygoodlookatalotofdifferentaspectsofbeingprofessional,fromcommunicationtohowtomakeourposters,tohowtopresentthings,anditwasdefinitelysomethingthatwillhelpeachandeveryoneofus,nomatterwhatlevelofexposurewe'vehadtothatbefore.

OrganizationalandProjectManagementSkills

StudentsenteredtheGLPinternshipwithstrongbeliefsintheirorganizationalskills,however,theirskillsstill increased slightly over the summer. Students reported the most gains in general projectorganizationalskillsandtimemanagementskills.Studentsfeltthattheirabilitytowork independentlyremainedconsistentoverthesummer,althoughtheyenteredtheinternshipwithstrongbeliefsintheirabilities in this area (see figure 5). In the focus group interview, one of the teams noted that theystruggledwithprojectmanagementastheyfellbehind indatacollectionduetoweatherdelays, thus,losingtimetoworkontheirposter.

CareerPreparation

Students reportedmoderategains in feelingprepared for futureeducationandcareers ingeoscience.Students felt quite well prepared already for their future in geoscience when they started the GLPinternship.However, they still reported somegainson the survey in theirbeliefsandconfidence thattheycouldsucceedinthefieldofgeoscience.Similartolastyear,studentsshowedthemostgrowthinfeelingreadytostudygeoscienceata4-yearinstitution(seefigure6).Surprisingly,students’beliefthatthey could succeed in future geoscience courses decreased. Nevertheless, students increased theirconfidence that they could have a successful geoscience career and they becamemore interested ingeosciencecareers.

FacultymentorsnoticedthattheirstudentshadsolidifiedtheireducationalplansasaresultoftheGLPinternship,andhadbeguntothinkaboutcareerplans.

Ithinkthissummerseemstohavehelpedherfocusinon,thathermajoristherightchoiceforher.Ithinkshe'snotsecond-guessingherselfonthatasmuchanymore.

Somefacultymentorscommentedthattheinternshiphadboostedstudents’confidencethattheycanhave a career in the geosciences. One of the faculty mentors noted the career benefits from theinternshipforcommunitycollegestudents,inparticular.

Ithinkoverallit'sagreatprogram.I'mreallyhappythatitgotupandrunning,andhashelpedtoshowsomeofourcommunitycollegestudentsthattheyaregoodenough,theyaresmartenoughtoworkinscienceorworkprofessionallyorcontinueontoallthosetracks.Sometimesstudentsatourleveldon'thavethat.That'snotapartoftheirvision.

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Facultymentorsobservedthatstudentswouldbemorecompetitiveforfutureinternshipsortransferto4-yearinstitutionsbecauseoftheirexperiencewiththeGLPprogram.

Ithinkit'sagreatexperienceforhim.It'sagoodstartinitself,andthenhopefullyhe'sgainedsomeskillsthatwilldirectlyapplytohisgoals.Rightnow,it'skindofaresumebuilder,andapathwaytogettingintoa4-yearprogram.

Students reported that the GLP internship provided them with the tools and knowledge to becompetitiveingeoscienceeducationandcareers,andalsoprovidedthemwithvaluablecareerskillsandresources. Students were particularly appreciative of the skill-building seminars, such as the resumeworkshop,asastudentcommentedinthefocusgroupinterview.

Ithinkoneofthemosthelpfulpartsof[theseminars]wastheresumewriting,andspecificallywewereabletohavemembersofthestafflookatourresumesandgiveusfeedback,whichIactuallyusedalloftheirfeedback.

Perhapsmoreimportantly,studentsgainedconfidencethattheybelongedingeoscienceandcouldsucceedingeosciencefromtheGLPprogram.Oneoftheinternsdescribedherlackofconfidenceandheruncertaintyatthebeginningoftheinternshipandhowshegainedconfidencethatshecouldpersevereinthefaceofchallengesinhereducationorcareer.

IntellectualGains

Students reported fewer intellectual gains than they did in other skills domains, as their cognitiveunderstanding of the discipline remained relatively steady over the summer. However, internsdemonstrated the most growth in understanding how the GLP internship related to their collegegeosciencecourseworkand in theirability to formulateaquestion thatcouldbeansweredwithdata.Studentsremainedsteady in theirproblem-solvingskills, readiness for research,andunderstandingofimportant concepts in geoscience. As with some of the other domains measured by the survey,studentsenteredtheinternshipwithstrongbeliefsintheirintellectualabilitiesingeoscience.

FacultyandstudentsalikeobservedhowtheactivitiesandprojectswithintheGLPinternshipbuiltuponandexpandedfoundationalconceptsandskillsthatstudentshadlearnedintheircoursework,asnotedinthefollowingfacultymentorcomment.

Shewassoexcitedtodotheinternship.Shewouldgoonandonabouthowmuchshelovedtheprogramandhowmuchshewaslearning.Theywerequantifyingtheaccuracyofthescanner,soshedidneedtoknowaboutcoordinatesystemsandallthatstuff.Shewaslike"I'mnotmakingmaps,butI'musingthethingsthatIlearnedinclassforthisotherthingthat'snotexactlywhattheclasswasabout."Forher,Ithinkitwasreallygreatbecauseshetookaclassandlearnedsomeconceptsthatarebeingappliedinsomethingrealandslightlydifferent.

Mentorsobservedthattheirstudentshadgainedknowledgeaboutthedisciplineandthetechnicaltermsassociatedwithgeosciencefields.

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He'sprobablylearnedsomemoregeologyandlearnedaboutallthenomenclaturerelatedtoit,andthosekindsofthingsthatheprobablydidn'thavebefore,sohe'sastepaheadoftheotherstudents.

Studentsalsoperceivedthattheyhadmadeprogressintheirunderstandingofthedisciplineandtheirunderstandingoftheresearchprocess,especiallytheiterativenatureoftheprocessofscientificresearch.

TheTLS,welearnedprettyintensely,butstillprobablyonlyscratchedthesurface,butweworkedwithitinafunctionalcapacity.Wedidn'tjustdoalittlepartofit,andthenhanditofftosomebodyelsewhowasmorefamiliarwitheverything.Welearnedhowtoemployit,andthenwelearnedhowscientistsapproachaproblem,anddevelopasolution,justthroughthescientificmethod,sothatwasprobablythebiggesttakeaway,washowscientistsinthefieldanswerquestionssothattheirhypothesisandtestingmethod.Isthistestgoingtogiveusthedatathatweneedtoanswerthequestion,developingawaytotest,physicallytesting,gatheringthedata,interpretingthedata,andthenexplainingthedata,soitwaslikeafullscienceprojectandit'swhattheydoonadailybasis.

Studentsalsodevelopedproblem-solvingandtrouble-shootingabilities,andgainedconfidenceintheirabilitytohandlechallenges.

Definitely[gained]confidenceinmyselfinbeingabletoapproachaproblem,andjustknowinglike,there'sawayaroundthis,orawaythroughit,andI'mgoingtofindit.

Preparationforresearch

Mentors and students reported that the GLP internship had helped to prepare students for futureresearch experiences in the geosciences. Although students’ response to this item on the surveyremained flat, faculty mentors noticed that their students were more prepared for future researchendeavors.Mentorshavemoreknowledgeof the skills, knowledge,andaptitudes thatareneeded tosuccessfully engage in research or other extended inquiry in geoscience. For example, the followingquotehighlights’mentorsobservationsof theway inwhich theGLP internshipprepared students forresearchexperiences.

Alltheskillsofworkingasateam,usingGPSandtechnologythatway,fiddlingaroundandworkingwithallthatkindofstuffwouldpotentiallyproveeffective,andhewillbeaviableassistanttosomeprofessordoingresearchinthefield.Heactuallygotsomeexperiencetestingsomethingandgoingthroughthemethodology.

CollaborationandNetworking

Studentsmadetheleastgainsincollaborationandnetworkingskills,primarilybecausetheyenteredtheinternshipwithverystrongconfidenceintheirabilitytonetworkwithscientificprofessionals.Thus,students’beliefsabouttheimportanceofnetworkingandtheircomfortinnetworkingwithgeoscientists

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remainedsteadythroughouttheGLPinternship.However,studentsdidgainabetterunderstandingofwhynetworkingisimportantandhowitmightbenefitthemprofessionallyinthefuture(seefigure8).

Students’surveyresponsesshowedthattheybecamemorecomfortablewithnetworkingandgainedabetter understand of how networking can benefit them professionally. Students did not discussnetworkingandcollaborationverymuchduringthefocusgroupinterview,buttheymentionedthattheyhadworkedverywellwithoneanotheroverthesummer,asdemonstratedinthefollowingcomment.

No,wereallydidhave,atleastinmyopinion,wehadanamazingGLPteamthissummer.ImeanIhonestlycouldnothaveaskedforbetterteammates.Itwassuchawonderfulexperience.

Mentoring

AcoreelementoftheGLPinternshipistheprovisionofanexternalfacultymentortoguideandadvisethestudentduringthesummer,andespecially,inthecomingyear.Moststudentsandmentorsreportedthat they communicated relatively frequently over the summer. Two pairs communicated every fewweeks,onepaircommunicatedseveraltimesoverthesummer,andanotherpairdidnotcommunicateduring the summer.Mentorsand studentsprimarily communicated throughemail. Studentsprovidedupdatesaboutwhattheyweredoingintheprogramandsentpictures.

StudentsreceivedmentoringnotonlyfromthefacultymentorswhowerepartoftheformalmentoringaspectoftheGLPinternship,butalsofromUNAVCOstaffwhoprovidedinformalday-to-daymentoringbysupportingtheinternsintheirscientificwork.

Anditwasn'tjuststrictlyourmentors,wehadsomewonderfulexperienceswithmanyofthestaffherelike[maleUNAVCOstaffperson–nameremovedforconfidentiality]wherehecameinandhewouldexplaintousthewhybehindthings.Anditwasjustsuchafriendlyenvironmentand[femaleUNAVCOstaff]wasabsolutelyphenomenalwithus.Itwassuchaneyeopeningexperiencetoworkwithsomanypeoplethattrulyenjoyedwhattheydo,notlikeanythingI'veeverexperiencedbefore.

Anotherstudentcommentedonthebenefitsofworkingside-by-sidewithUNAVCOstaff.Studentsfeltthattheyweretreated likeequalsduringthe internshipandthattheywereabletoprovide input intotheirwork.

Workingwiththefieldengineerswasfarandabovemyfavoritepartabout it,workinghand-in-handwiththemandlike,theydidn'ttelluswhattodo.Theyworkedwithus.IfwehadaproblemonTLS, Imeansomeofthisstuffonthewhiteboardisfrommeand[my teammate] and our mentor, each equally putting in contribution to solving theproblem, not just her telling us, this is how we're going to do it. Our mentor was aphenomenalteacher.Thefieldengineersaren'tjustengineers,they'reamazingteachers

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andIthinktheygetsomepracticeatitthroughherebecauseshegoesandteachesTLS,butshewasawonderfulteacher.

Overall, interns felt that the environment at UNAVCO and the internship were very supportive, ashighlightedinthefollowingquote.

Theway they've built this internship, it's so supportive, and so the staff and then ourmentors,and,it'sjust,it'sreallybeenaverysupportiveandwonderfulenvironment.

InfluenceonCareerIntentions

StudentsreportedthattheGLPinternshiphadnotnecessarilychangedtheircareerpath,butconfirmedthat they were on the right track. Students noted that they had strengthened their commitment togeoscienceandthattheyhadchosentherightfield.MentorsalsonoticedthattheGLPinternshiphadinfluenced students’ career paths by providing information about future careers and education ingeoscienceandsolidifyingtheireducationaldecisions.

Heisverymuchinsortofaninformationcollectingstagerightnow.Inthatregards,Ithinkthatthisisjustapieceofhisinformationthathe’sgettingtodecidewhatitishewantstodowhenhe’sreadytograduate.Whenwetalkedlastsemesterhewasnot100%confidentinthatlinethatwasgoingto.Intalkingwithhimnowhe'sprettyconfidentthatthat’sthepathhewantstogoin,soI'veseenhimrecognizethatheisreallyinterestedinpursuingadegreeinhischosenmajor.

Studentsalsoaffirmedthattheinternshiphadcementedtheircommitmenttotheirfieldofstudy.Asonestudentnoted:

IlearnedI'mintherightfield.That'sthesentenceIwouldusetosumitup.

Studentsalso felt that the internshiphadbroadenedtheircareeroptionsby introducingthemtonewcareersand fieldsof study.Asonestudentcommented, shewasconfident that shewouldbeable tofindafieldofstudyandcareerwithingeosciencethatwastherightfitforher.

IthinkitwasveryenlighteningtoseehowmuchIhadaninterestinwhatsomanyofthemdid,thatIhadn'treallythoughtofbefore,andbeingabletolearnmoreabouteachone.Becausewewerefortunateenoughtohavesomebodyfromgeography,geology,atmosphericscience,EPA,teaching.ItwassuchawidevarietythatdefinitelymademefeelalittlebitmorecomfortableaboutmychancesoffindingsomethingthatI'mgoingtobejustabsolutelypassionateabout.

Students also reported that the internship had spurred them to thinkmore strategically about theirfuture and their overall career trajectory, as noted in the comment below. The speakers during theCareerCirclesservedasrolemodelsforthinkingaboutandplanningforcareersingeosciencefields.

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Itdefinitelyinfluencedmythinking,buttomorelike,Iamthinkinglikeonestepaheadnow,morethanlikewhereI'matnowandjustfinishmybachelor'sdegree.I'mkindoflike,well,IneedtostartthinkingaboutwhatI'mgoingtodoaboutaftermybachelor'sdegree.Iactuallyhaveaplanaheadoftimebecausethatseemedtobelikewhattheyall,theywereallfocusedonwhattheyweredoing,buthadanideaofwhattheywantedtodoafter,consistently,throughouttheircareer.

ThreestudentsalsoreportedthattheyaremorelikelytopursuegraduateschoolbecauseoftheGLPinternship.Studentsnotonlylearnedmoreaboutgraduateschoolasaneducationaloption,butbecamemoreinterestedinpursuingthatpath,asindicatedinthefollowingcomment.

Ithashelpedinformmeongraduateschooloptions.BeforetheinternshipIwasnotreallyconsideringgraduateschool.NowIbelieveitissomethingIwilllikelypursue.

FacultyOutcomes

The GLP internship also had a positive impact on the faculty mentors themselves, expanding theirawarenessofthedifferenttypesofprojectsundertakenbythegeoscienceworkforceandkeepingthemapprisedofcurrentworkinthefield.Severalfacultymembersnotedthatthisknowledgewillinfluencetheirteachingandworkwithstudents.Asonefacultymembercommented:

OneofthethingsIloveaboutteachingisthatIalsolearnfromthemandthatgoesoninclassandthissummer,too.Learningaboutwhatshe'sbeendoingandthetypesofthingsthatarereallyhappeninginresearchandthetypesoftoolsandinstrumentsthey'reusingandprojectsthatthey'reworkingon.Ilearnedalotyesterday[attheRESESSpresentation].Iwillusethatandplugitintomyclasseslike"Heythisiswhatpeoplearereallydoing.Thisishowyoucanapplytheknowledgefromclass.Youcandoprojectslikethis."I'malwayssoakingallthatinandincorporateitintomyclasses.

FacultymentorsalsoreportedthattheyhadbecomebettermentorsfromtheexperiencebecausetheformalmentoringarrangementwithintheGLPprogrampromptedthemtobemoreintentionalintheirmentoring.Facultyalsofeltthattheyhadreceivedhelpfulmentoringresources.

Ithinkprofessionallyit'sbeengreattolearnalotmoreaboutmentoringandbeabletobemoreintentionalwiththeserelationshipsthatcropupwithstudents.Now,havingmoreresourcesonthementoringside,Ithinkwillbenefitmegreatlyinmycareerasateacher,tobemoreintentionalwithhowIgiveadviceorhowItalkwithstudentsorbuildarapport.Givingmorethanjust,"Oh,takethisclass,takethisclass,"butmoreto,"What'syourultimategoal?"Thenfiguringoutthebestwaytoreachthatgoal.

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Keyoutcomeandotherachievements

AsexperiencedinapilotprojectbyUNAVCOinsummer2015,studentscontinuetodemonstratethatalackofformalquantitativebackgroundisnothamperingtheirperformanceinthesummerinternships,providedprojectsaredesignedattheappropriatelevel.Perhapsthebiggestachievementoftheseminars,specialtopicscourse,andinternships,isbuildingconfidenceinthestudentthatthistypeofworkisindeedsomethingtheycando.Welearned,however,thatgettingstudentstoapplytotheinternshipsdoesnotalwaysleadtostudentsacceptingtheinternshipopportunity.

StudentsandfacultywereverypositiveabouttheformatoftheGLPinternshipanditsbenefitsforstudents.StudentsandfacultyexpressedalotofpositivefeedbackabouttheimplementationoftheGLPinternship.Someofthehighlightsfrominterviewsandsurveywrittenresponseswere:

• Theinternshipoverallwaswelldesignedandwellorganized.• UNAVCOmentors(includingeducationalandtechnicalpersonnel)wereverysupportive,

helpful,andavailablewhenneeded.• Studentsfeltthatworkingside-by-sidewithfieldengineerswasoneofthehighlightsof

theprogramandtheywereabletolearnmoreaboutthenatureofworkingeosciencecareers.

• TheCareerCirclesandcommunicationsseminarsprovidedmanybenefitsforstudentsandgavethemabetterunderstandingofcareeroptionsingeosciencealongwithvaluableprofessionaladvice.

• Thepostersessionprovidedaglimpseintothescientificcommunicationprocessandstudentslearnedalotaboutcommunicatingscientificresults.

• Studentsappreciatedtheteam-buildingactivitiesatthebeginningoftheprogram.TheyalsoappreciatedthefieldtripsandinteractionswithRESESSstudents.

Whatopportunitiesfortrainingandprofessionaldevelopmenthastheprojectprovided?

Trainingandprofessionaldevelopmentwasimplementedwiththreedistinctgroups:students,interns,UNAVCOstaff,andfacultymentors.Studentprofessionaldevelopment.Studentsinthespecialtopicscoursemetandinteractedwithprofessionalsfromanumberofrelatedfields.Further,studentswererequiredtopreparearesume,whereinstructedanddifferencesbetweenaresumeandacurriculumvitae,andstudentswereintroducedtotechnicalpapers.

Internprofessionaldevelopment.AsignificantelementoftheGeo-Launchpadprogramwasstructuredprofessionaldevelopmentforinterns.Aweekly1.5-hourskillsseminarwasimplementedtoprovideinternsbasictraininginapplicationssuchasExcel,GoogleEarth,andAdobeIllustrator.Softskillssuchastimemanagement,digitalorganization,andemailetiquettewerealsoaddressed.Internsalsoreceivedtrainingonhowtodevelopaprofessionalresume/CVandcoverletter.

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Formalprogramapplication.InternsappliedtotheprogramthroughtheUNAVCOonlineapplicationportal,thesameportalusedforallhiringattheUNAVCO.Thisprovidedstudentswithexperienceinsubmittingformalworkapplications.Programstafffollowedupwithinternsontheirexperience.

Communicationsskills.Aweekly2-hourcommunicationsworkshophelpedstudentsdevelopandrefinemechanismsforcommunicatingtheirworktonon-technicalaudiences.Tipsoneffectivenetworkingwerealsodiscussed.ThisworkshopwasjointwiththeRESESSinterns,allowingopportunityfornear-peerinteractions.

GeoscienceCareerCircles.Weeklyinformallunchtimediscussionswithprofessionalsworkinginvarioussectorsofgeosciencesprovidedstudentswithanopportunitytopracticetheircommunicationandnetworkingskills.ProfessionalsdiscussedtheircareertrajectoryandstudentsweregiventheopportunityforQ&A.

Technicalskills.InternslearnedtechnicalskillswhileworkingwithUNAVCOstaffontheirsummerprojects.SkillsincludedGPSbasics,typesofGPSinstruments,surveysandcampaigns,TerrestrialLaserScanning(TLS)basicsandusesofTLSandrangeerrorandaccuracydetermination.Theyperiodicallyworkedinthewarehousewheretheywereintroducedtovariouspowertools,receivedsafetytraining,andoperatedthemasnecessary.

Facultymentors.FourfacultymembersparticipatedintheGeo-Launchpadprogram.TheywerebroughttoUNAVCOHeadquartersinBoulderfortwodaysoftrainingandparticipatingintheinternfinalpostersession.Facultymembersweregiventrainingonbestpracticesinmentoringincludingdifferencesinmentoringversusadvising,mentoringstudentsfromminoritypopulations,anddifferenttypesofmentoringstrategies.

UNAVCOstaffmentors.ThreeUNAVCOtechnicalstaffworkeddailywiththeGeo-Launchpadinterns.Priortothestartofthesummer,thesestaffandtheirtwomanagersmetwithprogramstaff.Duringthesemeetingstechnicalstaffwereprovidedwithguidanceonhowtodevelopaprojectappropriatefortheinterns,tipsonhowtomanageundergraduateinterns,andgeneraltipsonmanagingothers’work.Thethreestaffinvolvedintheprogramareengineers(fieldanddata)anddonotmanagepeopleasapartoftheirnormalduties.Thiswasanopportunityforthemtodevelopandpracticemanagerialskills.

Theresultsofstudentinternshipsweresharedwithfacultymentorsattheendoftheinternship,aswereposterspresentedatanannualREUeventhostedbylocalorganizations.FacultyandadministratorsfromFrontRangeCommunityCollegeattendedthisevent.ResultsoftheworkofinternsisavailableonsubsetsoftheUNAVCOwebsite.FrontRangeCommunityCollegeLarimerCampusisalsoplanningtodisplaypostersforstudentsandfacultyoncampus.PresentationalsohavebeenmadeattheGeologicalSocietyofAmericaannualmeetinginDenverandattheannualmeetingoftheGreatPlains/RockyMountainDivisionoftheAssociationofAmericanGeographers.

Whatdoyouplantododuringthenextreportingperiodtoaccomplishthegoals?

ThefirstyearoftheprogramfocusedonFrontRangeCommunityCollegestudents.ThenextyearwillfocusonexpandingtheprogramtoothercommunitycollegestudentsaroundthestateofColorado.ThatwillincludeencouragingadoptionofGEO210atothercolleges,informingfacultyandadministratorsatothercollegesabouttheinternshipopportunityatUNAVCO,creatingpromotionmaterials(flyers,digitalflyers,videos,etc.)fordisseminationatothercolleges,andofferingseminarsat

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otherinterestedcolleges.Someconcernregardingtherecruitmentoffacultymentorswasexpressedintheindependentevaluationduetoconcernsoftimecommitmentandthefactthatmanyfacultyareoff-contractatthattime.Assuch,weplantoputmoreeffortintofacultyrecruitmentthroughoutreachatlocalconferencesandCCCSmeetingsandbycreatinginformationalmaterialstargetedtofacultytodemonstratesomeoftheprofessionaldevelopmentbenefitsofbeingafacultymentor.Confidenceinabilitybystudentsalsoremainsaconcern.Wehopewiderimplementationofthespecialtopicscoursewillprovidegreaterfamiliarity,henceincreasedconfidenceinstudentsinterestedingeosciencescareers.Wealsoplantoaskourinternalumni,whenpossibleandtheirschedulepermits,tomeetwithstudentsduringseminarsorvisitclassestoprovidepeerencouragement.Theprogrammaticelementsofthe2017internshipwillbeimplementedinasimilarwayto2016,basedonthepositiveevaluationdata.SignificanteffortswillbemadetoinformcommunitycollegefacultyacrossthestateofColoradoabouttheinternshipprogramincludingcontactingindividualsfromgeology,geography,andphysicsdepartments.WithinUNAVCO,theprogramstructurewillbereviewedandmodifiedasneededtoensurethetechnicalstaffworkingwithinternsarereceivingthesupportandtrainingtheyneed.Wewillreviewthestudentsummerprojectdesignprocesstoensurebothstudentsandtechnicalstaffreceivebenefitfromtheexperience.

ProductsConferencePapersandPresentations:Shabram,PatrickL.,Charelvoix,Donna,Morris,AishaR.,Miller,MaxJ.,“AddressingtheColoradoParadox:BuildingPathwaystoSTEMcareersinthegeosciencesthroughtheColoradocommunitycolleges,”MeetingoftheGreatPlains/RockyMountainsDivisionoftheAssociationofAmericanGeographers,October2016.Olsen-Mikitowicz,Alex,Fakhrai,Laura,Okal,Marianne,“UsingDifferentialGPStoDetermineRangeAccuracyandPrecisionofTerrestrialLaserScanners,”GeologicalSocietyofAmericaAnnualMeeting,Denver,Colorado,September2016.RussoNixon,Kelsey,Morris,AishaR.,Charlevoix,Donna,andShabram,PatrickL.,Geo-Launchpad:“PreparingColoradoCommunityCollegeStudentsforGeoscience-FocusedCareers,”GeologicalSocietyofAmericaAnnualMeeting,Denver,Colorado,September2016.Froyd,Jeffrey,Gardner,Stephanie,Riemer,Lynn,Kelly,Resa,Tashiro,Lynn,Shabram,Patrick,andSchewingruber,Heidi,“ProjectManagement”PanelDiscussion,TheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScienceEnvisioningtheFutureofUndergraduateEducation:ResearchandPractice,Washington,D.C.,April2016.OtherPublications:Billings,Kelly,Norman,Bradley,Zaino,Annie,andNiebuhr,Spencer,“PolarApplicationsofGeodeticFieldMethods:ASt.Mary’sGlacierCaseStudy,”PosterSession,UCARCenterGreen,Boulder,Colorado,July2016.Olsen-Mikitowicz,Alex,Fakhrai,Laura,Okal,Marianne,“UsingDifferentialGPStoDetermineRangeAccuracyandPrecisionofTerrestrialLaserScanners,”UCARCenterGreen,Boulder,Colorado,July2016.

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Websites:“Geo-Launchpad,”www.unavco.org/geolaunchpad“StemInternshipsOpenEyestoCareerPossibilities,”FrontRangeCommunityCollegeBlog,https://blog.frontrange.edu/2016/08/17/stem-internships-open-eyes-to-career-possibilities/“GP-EXTRA:Geo-Launchpad:PreparingColoradoCommunityCollegeStudentsforGeoscienceFocusedCareers,”SAGE2YCwebsite,http://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/transfer/geopaths/shabram.htmlOtherProducts:“LaunchYourCareerwithaPaidInternshipinGeoscience,”flyerforallColoradocommunitycollegestudents.“LaunchYourCareerwithaPaidInternshipinGeoscience,”version9/20forFrontRangeCommunityCollegestudents.“LaunchYourCareerwithaPaidInternshipinGeoscience,”forFrontRangeCommunityCollegestudents.2017UNAVCOStudentInternshipCalendar

ParticipantsWhatindividualshaveworkedonthisproject?Name MostSeniorProjectRole NearestPersonMonthWorkedPatrickL.Shabram PI 2DonnaCharlevoix PI 0AishaR.Morris Co-PI 1ShashiUnnithan Co-PI 0KelseyRusso-Nixon ProgramAssistant 3MelissaWeber ProgramCoordinator 2HannahHovar AdministrativeAssistant 3MaxJ.Miller SeniorPersonnel 0MikeZawaski OtherPersonnel 0Whatotherorganizationshavebeeninvolvedaspartners?Nothingtoreport.Haveothercollaboratorsorcontactsbeeninvolved?YesDavidBarnes,ColoradoCommunityCollegeSystem,Denver,CO–AdvisoryCommitteeTahliaBear,GeologicalSocietyofAmerica,Boulder,CO–AdvisoryCommittee

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WillLevandowski,UnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey,Lakewood,CO–AdvisoryCommitteeBlakeRusso-Nixon,CityandCountyofDenver,Denver,CO–AdvisoryCommitteeGregSheppard,DigitalGlobe,Westminster,CO–AdvisoryCommitteeHeatherThiry,GoldenEvaluation&PolicyResearch,Golden,CO–ExternalEvaluatorAndrewWarnock,ColoradoStateUniversity,FortCollins,CO–AdvisoryCommittee

ImpactsWhatistheimpactonthedevelopmentoftheprincipaldiscipline(s)oftheproject?Thegeosciences,asSTEMfield,arenotedforlowparticipationbyunderrepresentedgroups.Geo-Launchpadhasproveneffectiveinengagingcommunitycollegestudents(whichiscommonlythefirstpostsecondaryschoolformanyunderrepresentedgroups).Whatistheimpactonotherdisciplines?Studentsparticipatinginthesummerinternshiplearnaboutworkinginthefieldofengineeringthroughtheirexperiencewithtechnicalinstrumentation.Studentsarealsoexposedtoscientificdatamanagement(akeyaspectofdataengineering).Whatistheimpactonthedevelopmentofhumanresources?TheGeo-LaunchpadprogramprovidedUNAVCOtechnicalstafftheopportunitytodeveloppeoplemanagementskillsincludingtimemanagement,projectmanagement,andinterpersonalskills.Internswereprovidedopportunitytodevelopskillshelpfultoworkinginacollaborativeenvironment.Whatistheimpactonphysicalresourcesthatforminfrastructure?Nothingtoreport.Whatistheimpactoninstitutionalresourcesthatforminfrastructure?FrontRangeCommunityCollegepersonnelhavegainedvaluableexperienceonworkingwithcollaborativefacultyledgrants.SomeofthedepartmentstouchedbyuniquerequestscreatedbytheGeo-LaunchpadgrantincludeHumanResources,Academicdeans,andFiscal.FRCChasmadeimprovementstoitsprocessestoaccommodatefutureprojects.WithinUNAVCOGLPisexecutedbytheEducationandCommunityEngagementprogramincloseassociationwiththeBusinessAffairs(BA)program.TheprocesseswithintheBAprogramhavebeenupdatedandadaptedtoaccommodatetheinternsworkingatUNAVCOforeightweeks.Updatedprocessesincludetheon-boardingofemployees,methodofpaymentforwork,andITsupportservicestailoredforstudents.Whatistheimpactoninformationresourcesthatforminfrastructure?Nothingtoreport.Whatistheimpactontechnologytransfer?Nothingtoreport.

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Whatistheimpactonsocietybeyondscienceandtechnology?Theprogramhasprovidedformaleducationofcareersandresearchinthegeosciences,hasprovidedtechnicaltrainingofthefuturegeoscienceworkforce,hastaughtvaluableprofessionalskillsinsideandoutsideofscience,andhasengagedstudentstoseekfutureeducation.Facultyandstudentsatbothtwo-yearandfour-yearcollegesarenowmoreawareofcareeropportunitiesopentostudents.

Changes/ProblemsChangesinapproachandreasonforchange:TheproposalforGeo-Launchpadwassubmittedpriortotheexecutionofapilotproject(alsoreferredtoasGeo-Launchpad),grant#1359469fortheinternshipcomponentoftheproject.Thispilotprojectincludedafacultymentoringprogramforinterns.Thisfacultymentoringprogramprovedtobesovaluabletobothfacultyandstudents,thecollaboratorsofthisprojectfeltitnecessarytocontinuethisfacultymentoringgoingforward.Toaccommodatetheadditionofthefacultymentoringprogram,theGeoscienceMini-Symposiumhasbeenrevisedtobemorefocusedonindividualfacultymembers.Themini-symposiumwasintendedtobeaonedayworkshopatUNAVCOforfacultyandstudentstoprovidegeo-focusedinformationtoaidinadvisingandmentoringstudents.Whiletheobjectiveofthesymposiumisstillachievedforsomefaculty,thedecisionhasbeenmadetofocusmoreinformationandmentorshiptrainingonafewfacultymemberseachsummerratherthancastawidenetthatprovidemorelimitedinformationtomanyindividuals.BasedonfeedbackfromUNAVCOtechnicalstaff,modificationswilllikelybemadetothewaysummerprojectsareprocuredfromstaffandthewayinwhichstudentsareassignedtoworkonprojects.ActualorAnticipatedproblemsordelaysandactionsorplanstoresolvethem:Noactualoranticipatedproblemsordelaysexistatthistime.Changesthathaveasignificantimpactonexpenditures:Nochangesthathaveasignificantimpactonexpendituresexistatthistime.Significantchangesinuseorcareofhumansubjects:Nothingtoreport.Significantchangesinuseorcareofvertebrateanimals:Nothingtoreport.Significantchangesinuseorcareofbiohazards:Nothingtoreport.