Mount Hood

June 2021 Virtual All Participants Meeting

On June 15, 2021 ASCEND participants across all three regions gathered together virtually for the first time. The meeting began with a discussion of the documentary Picture a Scientist, in which leading women scientists discuss the inequalities they’ve faced as they set out to create a new formula to make STEM open to all. Next, Dr. Katrina Hutchins (Dr. K) provided a keynote address reflecting on the theme of Year 1 “Voice Positioning” and guiding the group through a coaching exercise to practice using one’s voice authentically and uplifting the voice’s of others. A key priority of this meeting was to provide participants the opportunity to network with others in their discipline across regions, so each discipline spent time in breakout rooms together and with Dr. K to further practice voice positioning. During a closing keynote, Dr. K encouraged each member of the ASCEND community to share a voice affirmation. One participant shared the following affirmation: 

“My voice matters, because I have not been alone in the challenges and obstacles I have faced, but sometimes I have felt like I was. Sharing my experiences and perspectives can let someone else know they are not alone.”

The meeting wrapped up with exciting updates including the announcement of the grant transitioning to John Carroll University and newly budgeted professional development funding opportunities in the form of mini-grants for both faculty and administrators. ASCEND participants will meet again in-person at the upcoming Fall Regional Meetings taking place this October 2021. 

STEM for ALL Video Showcase: May 11 – 18

We are very excited to announce our participation in the STEM for All Video Showcase on May 11 – 18. In this free 8-day event, we are sharing a 3-minute video where we tell the story of our ASCEND community and the impact of our grant so far. 

Our video will be shared alongside over 250 others depicting federally funded, cutting-edge projects that are improving Science, Math, Engineering and CS education. 

Join us during the event which starts TODAY to vote for our video and to discuss all of the videos online with presenters and other visitors. Our video can be viewed here: http://videohall.com/p/2048 

We’ve also recently launched our official Facebook page. Please “like” and “follow” us so you’ll never miss our upcoming events and updates!