. Integration of online and in-person instruction and diverse student backgrounds within an open education model provides Universal Access to Earth Data Science skills

Abstract
The Earth Lab Earth Analytics Education Initiative at the University of Colorado -- Boulder is building an innovative program that provides core in-market demand technical skills at the intersection of Earth and data science to undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The program includes formal courses, workshops, career development events with industry partners, paid undergraduate internships, an open online learning portal with global reach, and a professional certificate in Earth data analytics, one of the first of its kind in the country. We are committed to expanding the reach of Earth data science education for students across varying academic, professional, socio-economic and geographic dimensions to ensure broad accessibility to novel curriculum. All courses support a blended mix of students with varied academic and professional experiences, resulting in interdisciplinary and multi-level classrooms that enrich students' learning through collaborative and peer feedback activities that introduce new ideas and ways of thinking. To accommodate diverse student needs and increase program access, courses are offered through both online and traditional options, allowing students to participate in-person, online in real-time, or asynchronously by reviewing materials at their own pace. This flexibility supports the inclusion of students with full-time employment or other commitments that challenge enrollment in traditional courses as well as remote students living in other parts of the country or globe, who may not have access to similar curriculum locally. Our curriculum is informed by industry surveys to ensure that students are learning sought after skills at the intersection of earth and data science. All lessons use open source tools to teach students how to work with real-world data to address questions and challenges for earth and environmental systems. We comprehensively evaluate our courses using formative, summative, and longitudinal approaches (including student surveys, grades, and website metrics) to ensure that learning goals are being met and that all students are satisfied with the blended learning environment. To support Universal education, all course materials are carefully designed to support asynchronous online and independent learning. Materials are search engine optimized to ensure greater visibility and then published online on the earthdatascience.org website, which has a rapidly growing user base of more than 41,000 unique global monthly users. Our blended, open education model opens the doors for students world-wide, who may otherwise not have access to this curriculum, to develop key skills for careers in earth and environmental data science at their own pace.