Regional Application Center Hosts Earth Science Workshop

The Regional Application Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette hosted a summer workshop for high school students interested in pursuing a career in Earth Science recently in Lafayette. The objective -- spark a passion to learn how satellite imagery and monitoring is used to manage resources and the environment.

During the week, the students learned how to interpret real-time data using earth observations and incorporate the human element by creating communication tools to share within the community. The imagery focused on Louisiana and Gulf Coast issues like coastal subsidence, swamp erosion, and coast retreat, as well as floods caused by tropical storm surges, heavy rains, and sea level rise. Additionally, the students learned to fly and build NASA AEROKAT kites, drones, and other instruments to gather real-time data. At the end of the week, student teams shared their own Story Maps with the knowledge learned in GIS and remote sensing.

This free workshop is possible through the STEM-focused Geoscience Students Excelling in Real, Vital Investigations with Community Engagement (GEOSERVICE) grant from the National Science Foundation. GEOSERVICE is earth observation technology in interdisciplinary projects that address environmental and public challenges that confront our society and future generations. The initiative matches industry partners and program participants to better prepare students for career paths in geosciences, geology, environmental sciences, coastal studies, natural disaster monitoring, and more.

If you wish to participate in the workshop next summer, please email Brent Yantis.