Collaborative Research: EAGER: Voices Of Integrating Culture in the Earth Sciences (VOICES)

The Voices of Integrating Culture in the Earth Sciences (VOICES) is a collaborative pilot study focused on identifying new pathways to dismantle persistent barriers in the recruitment, retention, and representation of different racial, ethnic and cultural groups, including the intersectionality of those with disabilities.VOICES contributes to a greater awareness of cultural knowledge and best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Earth sciences, with implications of reaching a broader segment of the STEM community. This project will target key areas of engagement related to personal identity, feeling of belonging, history of place, and sense of security from underrepresented minorities.

VOICES uses creative strategies within a social behavioral framework, to address those elements that have the potential to shift from the traditions and legacies of a historically exclusive discipline into a more diverse Earth science community. Including voices from distinct cultural values and perspectives that are commonly undervalued, can result in changing exclusionary teaching, learning, and research practices.

By highlighting individual voices as part of a collective whole, a more powerful, awakened, and inclusive community has the potential to transform strategies to engage leaders and learners in Earth science disciplines.

The Voices of Integrating Culture in the Earth Sciences project will invoke the power of disaggregated stories and individual cultural identities that persevere despite the traditional expectations, values, and methods of teaching and learning Earth science. VOICES has four primary elements: Identity, Belonging, Place, and Security. Each element reflects different contexts within Earth science education (e.g., field and classroom learning environments, and career development) for groups of diverse students, faculty and professionals.

Using a mixture of social behavioral approaches including surveys focus groups and 3 thematic workshops, VOICES will focus on the interrelationship of Identity, Belonging, Place and Security through the lens of those who are commonly underrepresented in the Earth sciences. Thematic workshops (Nagaajiwanaang, Barataria and Potomac) use cultural histories and places to anchor workshop activities and outcomes around diversity and inclusion approaches to integrating culture in field experiences.

VOICES represents a novel and highly interdisciplinary approach will lead to: 1) a more culturally robust science community through broadening the awareness of cultural and intersectional knowledge across multiple underrepresented groups, 2) the establishment of a national diversity champions network VOICES Net as a sustainable communication platform, and 3) the design and deployment of best culturally inclusive practices for welcoming all students and scientists from groups underrepresented in the Earth sciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.