The Center for Land Surface Hazards (CLaSH) is developing a novel scientific framework that characterizes interconnected land surface hazards and predicts downstream impacts (the "hazard cascade"). CLaSH researchers are committed to working with educators to create instructional materials that focus on land surface hazards as a system. Priorities for the development of educational material includes training introductory geoscience faculty in cascading land surface hazards, including field- and data-based training, and developing curricular materials that engage students with real-world scenarios.

Recruiting participation of two-year community college (2YC) faculty in training and curriculum development will facilitate the dissemination of cutting-edge hazard training for a diverse population of students, some of which will go on to join geoscience departments as transfer students. Specific place-based workshops for 2YC faculty will encourage the development of instructional materials specific to the hazards faced by their communities and encourage cohort building among participating instructors and hazard observatory researchers. These workshops are anticipated to take place in four locations: Alaska, California, Kentucky and Puerto Rico. In addition, a 4-week paid summer internship program for 2YC students will be offered to 4 students per year at one of the participating hazard observatories.

The CLaSH team wants to work closely with 2YC faculty to ensure that professional development, student internships, and curricular design are aligned with the needs of 2YC faculty and students. Connecting ongoing research projects and a systems thinking approach in land surface hazards educational materials may help engage diverse introductory students by incorporating field experiences and relevant real-world datasets for community problem-solving.