Impacts of a citizen science research initiative at a 2YC

We developed a new Citizen Science Undergraduate Research Experience that engages two-year college students in application of the scientific method in order to increase STEM participation, interest, and skills. The research experience was designed to leverage the local, flood-prone urban setting of the two-year college with the class structure and flexibility of an 8-week course to provide students with diverse academic backgrounds and interests the opportunity to conduct an authentic research project on the consequences of flooding in central Texas. We describe our adaptable Citizen Science Research Experience course model and survey and assessment-based evaluation methods. Participation in the research experience is associated with higher rates of student success in terms of transfer and graduation rates, contributing to increased STEM retention. The research experience also increased student confidence in using the scientific method, formulating a research question, and working with numerical data, which support gains in science skills and integration into STEM culture. Close faculty mentoring contributed to the success of this course-based research experience. We recommend increasing instruction efficiency, structuring the course as a 2-term elective science credit course, and securing consistent faculty funding as ways to improve this and similar undergraduate research experiences at 2-year colleges.