NSF REU/RET Site: Preparing the Next Generation of Scholars through Community Geographic Information Systems and Citizen Science

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Academic Level:
For most summer research programs, this is your upcoming status as of the fall. Always check with the individual program's website for details.

K-12 Educators
Undergraduates - First Year
Undergraduates - Sophomore
Undergraduates - Junior
Undergraduates - Senior

Note: this opportunity encourages applications from community college students.

Description:
With U.S. National Science Foundation support, we provide funded international experiences in Orlando & Belize for U.S. undergraduates and K-12 educators in community GIS and citizen science. With additional resources we also fund University of Belize students. We intend to host a full, in-person program this summer. This of course is contingent upon COVID-19 conditions.

Fully Funded Summer Research Experience:

$4200 stipend for the 7 week REU/RET Site.

All expenses paid for the UCF Orlando portion of the trip/travel and for all Belize fieldwork travel.

Up to $750 for post-REU/RET conference presentations and/or industry visits.

What We Do: We emphasize community-based research while preparing students for careers in GIS, geospatial technologies, geography, sociology, geosciences, education, community development, public health, and land use planning. We also prepare K-12 teachers to incorporate geospatial technologies into their classrooms to inspire science's next generation.

Who We Support: As an NSF-funded program, we are open to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents. We are interdisciplinary emphasizing community geography, community GIS, and citizen science through mixed methods, including sketch mapping, mobile mapping applications, in-depth interviews, GIS, spatial analysis, and drones.

Since 2016, over 70% of participants have been from underrepresented groups in STEM, and from several disciplines including geography, GIS, environmental studies, sociology, anthropology, biology, chemistry, political science, business/economics, education, and more.

Our Commitment to Accessibility: Our NSF REU/RET Site and learning community is committed to including and supporting students with identities that are commonly underrepresented in the field sciences. Specifically, program faculty and staff have experience in supporting and mentoring students with disabilities, and are proud to partner with the International Association for Geoscience Diversity in this effort.

Fieldwork & Research Directions: Our primary field site since 2016 is Hopkins Village, Belize. We have two research areas.

Research Track 1: Leveraging community geography and GIS to map disparities in flooding.

Research Track 2: Leveraging community geography and GIS to reduce waste and prevent marine debris.


Participating Institution(s):
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Program Materials:
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This Program can be Described by:

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This program is funded by:
National Science Foundation (NSF)


Page last updated 1/15/2023 12:44:22 PM
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