CIELO-G' mission

The Community-driven Inclusive Excellence and Leadership Opportunities in the Geosciences (CIELO-G) project aims to transform in a profound and long-lasting way our geoscience community culture.

Why do we need CIELO-G?

The geosciences remain one of the least diverse STEM fields. Studies recommend diversifying the geoscience workforce by developing initiatives to help students from all backgrounds feel welcomed and capable of succeeding at higher education, creating diversity fellowships, encouraging community outreach and engagement, and partnering with Minority Serving Institutions. Various targeted programs have been developed and executed by federal agencies, but long-term change for increasing representation of diverse, underserved populations in the geosciences remains elusive. To achieve this goal, a cultural transformation in the geoscience community, which permanently changes on how we perform research, communicate scientific results, mentor and train students, and interact with the community is required. Climate change and its impacts on human health, water quality and availability, and geological hazards tend to affect underserved minority communities disproportionally. The confluence of these challenges provides the impetus to tackle both – representation of minorities in geosciences and finding solutions to negative impacts of climate change – simultaneously in collaboration with the community.