AWARD YEAR: 2023

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

DIRECTOR: MEGAN HUGHES

PROJECT TITLE: GEO-HEALTH INTERNS: GEOSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CAREER CONNECTIONS FOR ROBESON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Geoscience and Environmental Health Career Connections (Geo-Health Interns) program, serving high school students in Robeson County, NC, has two core components: (1) a 5-week summer internship program for STEM-interested students and (2) a partnership with the UNC-Pembroke (UNC-P) School of Education to conduct a series of hands-on geoscience and environmental health workshops for Robeson County students. Over three years, more than 110 students will be served by the Geo Interns program, increasing their environmental science and health knowledge and skills through field and lab experiences and fostering interest in STEM college/career pathways. This project builds on the successes of the BWF-funded STEM Experiences in the Lab and Field (SELF) program, which was administered by the Center for Public Engagement with Science in the UNC Institute for the Environment (UNC-IE-CPES) in collaboration with partners from Robeson Early College High School (RECHS), Robeson Community College (RCC), and UNC-P. From 2020-2023, SELF served 116 students: 48 students participated in 2-week Geo Expeditions programming (2020-2022), 45 students participated in Geoscience Field Trips (2022), and 26 students participated in 5-week Geo Interns programming (2021-2023).

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