For the past five years, the GeoSPACE field course has developed a unique program that highlights what accessible field programs can look like, and the positive impact that inclusive experiential programs have on students. In an effort to expand the options for accessible field work beyond our own program, a new phase of the project aims to utilize the field course as an annual training opportunity for faculty that would like to create or modify their own field programs to be more accessible and inclusive. This year, we ran a developmental version of this training with our first trainee.
The workshop was embedded within the field course and the trainee shadowed different members of the leadership team on different days to learn about the various aspect of a hybrid field course, including logistical considerations (food, lodging, transportation, scheduling), access-centered teaching strategies, how and when to utilize different communication tools and techniques in hybrid field settings, implementing technology as means of improving access, how to build a sense of community and more. These topics were tied to specific course activities each day, with time to discuss and reflect at the end of each day and at the end of the field course. Co-developing this workshop with a trainee reflects the collaborative, reciprocal-learning approach of the field course itself. Here we present an overview of the resulting workshop program, reflections on the development process and potential next steps in offering this program (or one like it) to a broader audience.