“In my Fellowship I’m
able to do so many
different kinds of
projects. It’s so
exciting!”

Chloé Camacho, USVI Hub

The Navigating Home Project

Navigating Home is a U.S. National Science Foundation project that engages the United States territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam and supports recent on- and off-island graduates who identify as Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander or other underrepresented groups in the geosciences and who originally hail from one the three U.S. territories.  

The goal of Navigating Home is to place recent graduates into new short- (2.5 month) and long-term (1-2 years) marine and environmental science job opportunities to build local workforce capacity. Training provided will be tailored to ensure graduates have the skills required to contribute to an island-based, marine and environmental science workforce.

Beach scene in St. Thomas, USVI with sea grape leaves

 “Navigating Home is an exciting project that supports islanders and builds STEM workforce capacity in our island territories”

– Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes, Project Lead from UVI’s Center for Marine and Environmental Studies

Project Vision and Mission Statement

Navigating Home will contribute to inclusive marine and environmental science research communities that reflect the diversity of our islands.

Our goals are to bring back, train, and retain islanders who have Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees in the marine and environmental sciences, and who want to be part of their home island’s workforce; strengthen partnerships between island-based universities and their local partners; provide transdisciplinary training related to public engagement through science and community engagement; and transform geoscience culture through these strategies and partnerships.

We leverage the NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance to foster workforce opportunities in the islands by collaborating with universities and local partner organizations. The project strengthens connections and opportunities by supporting fellows, strengthening the local workforce and creating shared systems of leadership.

Guam workforce fellow in the field

This is the first step
towards geoscience
cultural transformation.

Beautiful stream in Puerto Rico

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM