Apply!
Applications are now open for the 2023 Geoscience Ambassadors Program (https://www.geoscienceambassadors.net). We are looking for new leaders who are ready to use their unique story to broaden understanding of and appreciation for geosciences in diverse communities.
The Geoscience Ambassadors Program, funded by the HHMI Professors Program, was launched in fall 2018 at the Jackson School of Geosciences. The goal is to empower a next generation of geoscientists to challenge cultural norms and ideas about what it means to be a geoscientist, and repattern the field in ways that make it more hospitable and relevant.
To date, the program has engaged three cohorts of 37 Ambassadors in a process of reflecting upon their individual identities, where they come from, and the barriers, pivotal experiences, and tensions they have experienced. Through this process, they have learned to craft authentic, video-based "changemaking stories" that narrate their personal journey into the geosciences in ways that speak effectively to an identity group or home community to which they feel connected. Ambassadors have interacted with more than 60 community representatives and shared their stories through outreach and educational activities that have directly engaged about 1500 individuals in schools, youth organizations and elsewhere. Past participants have found that these activities contributed to their own professional development, strengthening their graduate school applications, job application documents, and designs for future change-making and mentorship activities. The program has reached a broad audience of geoscientists, teachers, education researchers, and changemakers through conference workshops and sessions at AGU, GSA’s On to the Future Program and NAGT’s Earth Educators’ Rendezvous. Learn more here.
This year, the Ambassadors program will take the form of a two-day Storytelling for Change workshop. Through this workshop, Ambassadors will draw upon their own personal experience to craft stories that influence how others perceive and engage with the geosciences.
The program is open to any student at the Jackson School of Geosciences. Ambassadors will receive a stipend of $250 to support their participation in the program upon completion of the workshop. All participants will be expected to attend both sessions and produce a version of a personal web profile and video story to be featured on the Geoscience Ambassadors website.
Please submit your application by Feb. 3 Feb 10 if you would like to be considered for a Geoscience Ambassador position for this school year.
Workshop Agenda:
Feb 17 (Fri), 2-4pm: Orientation and Community-building Session
Introduce the Ambassadors Program
Get to know one another by sharing personal stories
Reflect upon who you are as a geoscientists, to whom, and what you have to say that matters
Prepare for full-day Storytelling for Change Workshop
Mar 4 (Sat) 9am-5pm: Storytelling for Change Workshop
Share stories for peer feedback
Discuss community, audience, message and goals for change
Refine stories in written and video form
Develop actionable plans to share outcomes
Questions? Contact a member of our team:
Dr. Julia Clarke at Julia_Clarke@jsg.utexas.edu
Dr. Lucas Legendre at lucasjlegendre@gmail.com
Dr. Adam Papendieck at apapendieck@jsg.utexas.edu
Dr. Kathy Ellins at kmkellins@gmail.com
About the team: https://www.geoscienceambassadors.net/about