Empowering Inclusive Earth Science Classrooms Through Free, Open-Access Geoscience Resources for Teachers

Over the past three years, the University of North Georgia (UNG) has advanced the goals of the National Science Foundation’s GEOPAths:IN program by strengthening geoscience education for grades 9–12 STEM and Special Education teachers and their students through sustained, hand-on professional development and outreach. Central to this effort was GeoEd, a week-long professional development workshop designed to increase exposure to the geosciences,and build teacher confidence and capacity for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. GeoEd engaged teachers through hands-on field experiences, laboratory investigations, and the use of geospatial technologies, all framed within Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and aligned with Georgia state science standards in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science. 

In-person workshops and student programs have demonstrated clear gains in teacher confidence, instructional capacity, and student engagement. However, a critical challenge in educational outreach initiatives such as GeoEd, include long-term sustainability beyond the funding period. To address this challenge, UNG developed a centralized, open-access website that curates and hosts all instructional materials created and developed through the GeoEd workshops and related GEOPAths activities. These resources include standards-aligned PBL modules, lesson plans, GIS and Google Earth exercises, datasets, assessment tools, and implementation guides designed for classroom use. By making these materials freely available, the website removes financial, geographic, and institutional barriers to professional development and enables teachers to revisit, adapt, and share resources as their instructional needs evolve.

A defining feature of the hosted materials is their emphasis on inclusive and accessible geoscience instruction. Several activities include accessible versions intentionally designed to support students with a wide range of learning abilities. This approach empowers both STEM and Special Education teachers to integrate Earth Science concepts into inclusive classrooms while maintaining academic rigor and alignment with required state standards. Teachers report increased confidence in adapting geoscience content for diverse learners, expanded use of geospatial technologies, and greater student engagement with real-world Earth system challenges such as climate change, resource management, and environmental hazards.

This presentation highlights the design, implementation, and early impacts of this open-access resource hub as a sustainable model for scaling Earth Science education. By extending the reach of professional development well beyond in-person participation, the website supports thousands of students indirectly through teacher use and adaptation of materials. This work demonstrates how partnerships between university departments and K–12 teachers, combined with freely available, high-quality teaching resources, can strengthen the visibility, relevance, and inclusivity of Earth Science in school curricula. Ultimately, this model contributes to building long-term geoscience capacity, fostering scientific literacy, and supporting a more diverse and informed next generation of Earth scientists, educators and citizens capable of addressing global sustainability challenges.