Good morning, my name is Gary Silverstein.
I'm with West Data Social Science Research Firm just outside of Washington D.C.
and I am a CO-PI on the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub, which is what I'm here to talk about today.
But first let me just say a word about the NSF INCLUDES National Network.
The NSF INCLUDES National Network is a comprehensive national initiative
designed to focus on diversity, inclusion, and broadening participation in STEM.
It's funded by the National Science Foundation and the vision for NSF INCLUDES
is to catalyze the STEM enterprise and collaboratively work with for inclusive change the results
in the STEM workforce that reflects the diversity of the nation.
Partnerships and networks are at the heart of this initiative.
The partnerships and networks that define NSF INCLUDES are the structure by which projects
build a network of partners that are empowered to accomplish together what they could not do individually.
[pause]
The NSF INCLUDES National Network includes five alliances that are currently funded
in 70 design and development launched pilot projects, some of whom are here today.
It also includes their partners.
At present there are over 760 partners that are working with these 75 initiatives.
As it expands the National Network will also include other NSF funded projects that are working to
broaden participation in STEM, as well as industry partners in national centers.
So the network is you.
Anyone interested in this work can join the network.
So I am here representing the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub.
The hub is funded by NSF as well and we are to serve to connect, enhance,
and expand the work of the members of the national network.
We have only been funded since October of 2018, so we're just getting started
and Westat is one of five or six different organizations that comprise the hub.
It's a very large enterprise.
A primary role of the hub is to broker connections among network members
and across education, industry, government, and philanthropy.
We accomplish this through multiple means including an online community, affinity groups,
resource materials, and a series of webinars on a wide range of topics.
As this slide shows, the Coordination Hub has established five core areas that are
designed to support the National Network.
The communication work is designed to help members of the National Network articulate the impacts
of their work to enable a better understanding of the National Network's value and progress.
As such we are also looking to strengthen the capacity of initiatives to tell their stories
and to help them expand their reach and sustain their own efforts.
The goal of the Hub's research program is to synthesize findings on promising strategies
for broadening participation in STEM, for improving STEM equity,
and achieving and sustaining organizational change.
In so doing, we hope to advance the knowledge base and catalyze the scaling of what works within
NSF INCLUDES National Network and beyond.
The Hub seeks and its shared measures work to document
the collective contributions of the members of the National Network in terms of broadening
participation in STEM and STEM careers.
We're also working to enhance members' capacity to collect and use their own data to inform
strategic planning and their own decision making process.
The goals of the technical assistance and community engagement work are to support and build
a robust community to practice in a wide range of areas.
Finally, by hosting convenings, the Hub will bring current and new members of
the Network together to exchange and share knowledge about best practices.
There are multiple ways to access the Hub.
There's a website that'll be coming soon where you can access resources
and tools and learn what is happening across the Network.
We have an online community, which is another means of accessing
information and engaging in ongoing discussions.
We have a social media and newsletter.
You can follow the Hub @NSFINCLUDESHub to stay up-to-date and share news.
We have affinity groups, which are small, curated discussions around specific topics of interest.
And then we have conferences where you can meet colleagues and learn and share your work.
So, to join the online community you can email us at nsfincludes@sri.com.
You can also connect with us on twitter @NSFINCLUDESHub.
But I encourage you to please join the community and I'm here to answer any questions
you might have about the NSF INCLUDES program or the Coordination Hub.
Thank you.
[clapping]