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Alaska Earthquake Center’s Workforce Development Program Takes Shape

Description: 

The Alaska Earthquake Center has committed to helping develop a strong and diverse Alaskan workforce. In 2022, we joined with the T3 (Teaching Through Technology) Alaska program to bring seismic instrumentation training to rural Alaska students in communities across the state. In the first year of the program, 22 students from 7 communities participated. Now in its second year, over 30 students from 16 schools are enrolled in the Earth Observation Club. We have refined how the program runs, and expanded the suite of tools available for training to align with Alaska Geophysical Network instrumentation. The school-year program relies on a teacher at each school to act as the local coordinator. An in-person kick-off event forges early connections, and weekly online meetings provide a classroom-type environment for students to connect and brainstorm ideas for community-based projects. Students discuss individual community concerns, like permafrost thaw that leads to ground instability and erosion. They decide on which real-time monitoring tool(s)—seismometer, soil probe, weather station, camera—they will use to collect the data to make informed community decisions. For example, months-long data from a soil temperature profiler in Quinhagak can help the village make an informed decision on where to place a new road. The students set up and run their project, and present their efforts at an in-person event in the spring, such as this year’s SSA meeting.

This year we have also introduced a credentialing program that is aimed at training students in the field and technical skills needed to troubleshoot, fix, and install remote seismic stations. The program includes basic, intermediate, and advanced stages, and culminates in in-person training and the opportunity to apply for summer internships. Our plans for the next few years include creating credentialing pathways in data analysis, computer systems, and communications, and building industry partnerships for student employment.

Session: Leveraging Cutting-Edge Cyberinfrastructure for Large Scale Data Analysis and Education [Poster Session]

Type: Poster

Date: 5/2/2024

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Elisabeth

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors