132-5 Using Project-Based Learning to Foster Creativity and Interest in the Geosciences

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part II

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GeoFORCE Texas is a presidentially-recognized STEM youth outreach program that takes high school students on unforgettable trips across the United States to explore geoscience topics in remarkable places. These immersive field experiences are designed not only to expose students to geosciences, but also to inspire a passion for geoscience and STEM careers. Each year, students finish their week-long academy experience with a project synthesizing all they have learned that week. This final project ranges from creating their own stratigraphic column with a geologic history writeup, to geoscience communication of hazards, and in their final year, a full-fledged research project in a variety of geoscience subfields. Students work to create professional-looking research posters, giving them firsthand experience on presenting scientific findings and thinking like geoscientists—a skill that puts them above many other students their age. We have found that Project-Based Learning fosters deeper engagement and sparks creativity by encouraging students to take ownership of their learning, think critically, and collaborate effectively. Through this process, students not only build content knowledge in different geoscience subfields, but also develop essential skills in research methodology, data interpretation, and science communication which can be utilized in college, the workforce, and beyond.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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