Regional Network Development

Goals for changes in the regional network

• Strengthen existing relationships and build new ones between community colleges in the DC metro region, community colleges in Virginia, K12 Earth science in Virginia, and transfer universities.
• Improve transfer of NOVA courses to transfer destination universities

Strategies/Activities

We have collaborated with colleagues at peer institutions on several fronts. We have worked with K12 educators at the Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST), developing a grant proposal to help them get the Earth science training they want. Some of us have joined the newly-former Virginia Earth Science Teachers Association (VESTA), which to this point has just been about sharing opportunities with them. We convened a workshop at our institution's Power Up Your Pedagogy conference in January, 2019 about building an inclusive classroom environment. We convened a session on coordinating transfer, held at the state community college system's biennial STEM peer group meeting. This led to Callan taking a lead role in coordinating the transferability of geology courses between community colleges in the state and state universities as part of a new legislatively mandated initiative, called Transfer VA. Finally, we have convened a workshop on field trips, and were delighted to see 2YC colleagues from both Maryland and Virginia there, as well as K12 educators!

Outcomes

Our first regional workshop helped to expand our existing network with local 2YC and K12 educators. Additionally, our campus workshops have helped to build new relationships with educators outside of Geology at NOVA.

Our Fall regional workshop and upcoming seminar series will provide a great outlet to continue to build our regional networks.

Finally, the SAGE 2YC workshops (both synchronous and asynchronous) have also dramatically expanded our network, both near and far. Our team frequently reaches out to other change agents for feedback, advice and resources.