WIT

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WIT Reaching out to Underserved Communities
Presentation by Jayant Deo and Jim Keeney CIRA
at Colorado State University and CRH MSD
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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.
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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
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• 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

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National Weather Service Work Force compared to
National Civilian Labor Force Category 1999 200
0 2001 2002 NCLF   Total Employment 4822 4804 4704
4719 Male 84 83 83 83 54
Female 16 17 17 17 46
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National Weather Service 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 1
7 46   Non-Minority Male 77 76 75 75 4
3 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
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Three Phase ApproachPhase 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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