Community of Practice

 

Among the strategies for meeting AccessSTEM objectives is a Broadening Participation Community of Practice (CoP) for stakeholder groups. Communicating using email and other electronic tools, CoP members share perspectives and expertise and identify practices that promote the participation of people with disabilities in STEM fields. Collaborators receive support from project staff in making their project activities more accessible (e.g., assistance in the design of an accessible website, suggestions for recruiting and accommodating participants with disabilities).

The Broadening Participation CoP is populated with AccessSTEM collaborators who administer alliances and projects that serve to broaden participation in STEM fields by encouraging and supporting women, racial/ethnic minorities, and/or people with disabilities. Members:

• discuss how to recruit participants with disabilities and accommodate them in their programs and activities and to make their STEM offerings more accessible overall
• recruit their participants with disabilities into AccessSTEM e-mentoring, internships, academies, and workshops to complement their activities
• identify, recruit, and accommodate eligible AccessSTEM participants
• cosponsor events, discuss potential new projects, and share funding possibilities
• disseminate AccessSTEM information and information about their projects and results through the Knowledge Base
• help plan and recruit participants for Capacity-Building Institutes

You can join the Broadening Participation CoP by sending the following information to doit@uw.edu:

• Name
• Position/Title
• Institution
• Postal address
• Email address