# Presentation: 670171

## WIT

- <date/time>

- Reaching out to Underserved Communities

**Presentation by **
**Jayant Deo and Jim Keeney**
**CIRA at Colorado State University and CRH MSD**

## What is WIT?

- •  Stands for WCM Initiatives Team.
- •  Comprised of WCMs and MICs from all regions to address issues of improving outreach to underserved communities.

## Underserved Communities

- Those communities who experience reduced physical mobility, language barriers, etc. and who do not:
-  	  Receive Information
- 	  Take appropriate actions when the NWS 	issues weather warnings

## Why reach out?

- By developing a more extensive and consistent outreach effort, we can become a more representative organization and
-   Improve our own diversity
-   Improve delivery and effectiveness of information and services
-   Attract individuals from underserved communities into the agency

## National Weather Service Work Force

- compared to
- National Civilian Labor Force
- Category		1999	2000	2001	2002	NCLF
- Total Employment	4822	4804	4704	4719
-   Male			84%	83%	83%	83%	54%
-   Female		16%	17%	17%	17%	46%

## Category		1999	2000	2001	2002	NCLF

**Work Force Composition Compared to**** **
**National Civilian Labor Force**
- Category		1999	2000	2001	2002	NCLF
- Total Employment	4822	4804	4798	4798
-   Male			84%	83%	83%	83%	**54%**
-   Female		16%	17%	17%	17%	**46%**
- Non-Minority
-   Male			77%	76%	75%	75%	**43%**
-   Female		12%	13%	13%	13%	**35%**
- Minority
-   Male			7%	7%	8%	8%	**12%**
-   Female		4%	4%	4%	4%	**10%**
- Targeted Disabilities	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%	**6%**

## Three Phase ApproachPhase I:  Improve awareness of underserved communities by conducting training for NWS employees  Enhance current WCM training course to show how to 	conduct more effective outreach to underserved 	communities Conduct training at all National and Regional conferences Provide training to NWS employees attending courses at all the training centers

## Phase II: Develop outreach resources for WCMs   Develop tools to assess and understand hazards vulnerability   Develop and provide resource materials to increase NWS involvement  Build partnerships with underserved communities

## Phase III:  Material Collection, documentation, dissemination  Inventory existing outreach programs to see if they are reaching underserved communities  Enhance existing programs to insure they reach underserved communities  Improve sharing of outreach resources 

## What can we do?

-   Promote science and technology as a career
- 	• Need to open new channels and improve existing 	sources that can provide future NOAA employees
- 	• Need to generate interest in careers in science and 	technology
- 	• Look beyond the tried and exhausted channels

## What can we do? continued

-  Provide *career talks* wherever and whenever possible
- 	• Using existing national and local programs
- 	• Drawing on experiences of programs that have 	worked
- 	• Using every opportunity available to reach out, 	and most 	importantly, incorporate this perspective into our outreach 	work to infuse enthusiasm and interest in science and 	technology as a vocation

## Where do we go from here?

- § Use the existing diversity in our workforce to improve 	participation and communication
- § Think beyond conventional representational issues
- § Think about quality of work issues that affect our lives
- § Think about an open workplace