I love that you are including students with disabilities. I think we have yet to understand the intersection of race and disability in STEM.

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to watch our video.  The AAAS Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Inclusive STEMM Ecosystems for Equity & Diversity (ISEED) Programs and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) HBCU-Up Program.

 The AAAS ERN Conference in STEM has had positive impacts on improving science identity for students that are underrepresented minorities and students with disabilities. In addition to cultivating science identity, our video will highlight how the ERN Conference has advanced a sense of belonging and community in STEM, as well as, provided professional development opportunities to support educational and career goals.

Please engage with us by viewing, discussing and voting this from May 10^th – 17^th.  We welcome all questions, comments, and feedback regarding this initiative.   

 -AAAS ERN Initiative Team

The latest assessment of the ERN Conference showed improvement on the Science Identity construct for student participants. This item used a visual representation to demonstrate how students see themselves in relation to "being scientists." Exposure to the ERN Conference has generated evidence showing students who attend the conference see themselves as scientists more strongly after their participation. This type of improvement is especially important for students that have been historically underrepresented in STEM careers. 

The AAAS ERN Conference gives a platform for students to showcase their skills in STEM. Working with the conference, I impressed by the knowledge and drive the students have for their passion from biological studies to engineering. They are exposed to others with similar backgrounds around the world which gives them the drive to network, to connect, and to collaborate. As an advisor and mentor, I witnessed a change in my students' grades, motivation, and passion. To see them speak about their research topics and create their own ideas to carry the research to different levels. From this experience, they met friends from other universities, with different backgrounds, and a variety of insight about future goals. And now they are seeking ways to further their education. So this video showcases the highlights of the underrepresented and disable individuals that this conference reaches yearly. The importance of this conference is beyond measures. 

This is very awesome !

This is very interesting, taking cognizance of the disables. Good job.

I love the idea of bringing young people from diverse backgrounds together in a friendly, supportive conference that includes a way for them to roadtest their professional skills, as well as discuss their research. Great work!

Thank you for your important work to support and improve the experience of emerging researchers who are underrepresented in STEM. I appreciated your framing of the overarching challenge and needs of these emerging researchers, and description of the ERN conference as part of the response. ERN seems to be effective in supporting individuals in a multitude of ways, not the least of which is recognizing that one's scholarship and perspectives are needed and valuable.  I was especially interested in your studies of identity and community building, and I'd like to hear more about how you are defining student science identity and what having the "identify construct circles getting closer together" suggests.  Also, building community seemed like a critical support for building science identity.  How are you studying community building--what seem to be important features for creating a supportive community environment?  

Thank you and best wishes for this work!

Iris - I couldn't be more excited by the work you are doing. One of your video participants described it beautifully - engaging all of our human capital. I would be very interested in hearing about what you've learned through implementation about key opportunities that cultivate meaningful sense of belonging for participating students. How has your program pushed boundaries in thinking about our understanding of identity development and perhaps more specifically the intersections of disability and STEM identity development? 

Thank you for creating such critical and needed space. 

Iris and team, thank you!!  I had the pleasure of being at the 2020 ERN. This conference is truly transformative. We have so much to learn from our students, and the ERN gives them the opportunity to be the experts, to grow in confidence, and to expand their social capital. Faculty allies and advocates, even those not entirely sure how to become allies and advocates, should consider attending and just observing and speaking with these amazing students. I would love to see the effort to engage more students with disabilities in STEM continue to grow. There are so many intersectionalities of identity that students are trying to navigate along with pursuing interests in STEM careers. ERN gives them a place to belong, helps them see that they are all scientists, and includes them in communities of support to help them become successful. The networking here will last a lifetime.  I'm so proud of you all and this important work!

Awesome! Thank you very much Iris and the team for all your efforts to support our students! The ERN conference provides the opportunity to the students to excel, gain experiences, grow and shine!  God bless you all!

ERN Changes Lives!!

ERN is a national leader in providing exemplary professional development for emerging scholars, particularly those from backgrounds that are often overlooked for their potential as scientists and engineers. Moreover, this venue gives students a platform to network and share their work. Kudos on an amazing body of work!!

#STEMDiversity #STEMLeadership #Inclusive Excellence

ERN Changes Lives!!

ERN is a national leader in providing exemplary professional development for emerging scholars, particularly those from backgrounds that are often overlooked for their potential as scientists and engineers. Moreover, this venue gives students a platform to network and share their work. Kudos on an amazing body of work!!

#STEMDiversity #STEMLeadership #Inclusive Excellence

I have had the pleasure of being involved in the ERN meetings since it began. It is truly a transformative  experience both for faculty and students who have participated.

Our students who attend ERN rightfully feel proud to be acknowledged as researchers and scientists and come back from the conference feeling energized. Thanks!

I’ve had the pleasure off serving as a judge for past ERN conferences. It’s always exciting to engage with students, especially those presenting for the first time. The inclusiveness of the conference and enthusiasm of the students is something I always look forward to. 

Thank you, Shantisa, for your comment and for your support of ERN as a judge. We couldn't do it without people like you! 

This video is such an outstanding compilation of everything that is ERN.  People with disabilities are not always included in definitions of diversity and the leaders and supporters of ERN have initiated a Working Group of Students and Professionals with Disabilities to, not only share their talents, but to listen to each other's experiences, successes and barriers, on their journeys through the education and career pathway.  ERN has created an amazing community for so many people to give voice to all their STEM experiences.

This video is such an outstanding compilation of everything that is ERN.  People with disabilities are not always included in definitions of diversity and the leaders and supporters of ERN have initiated a Working Group of Students and Professionals with Disabilities to, not only share their talents, but to listen to each other's experiences, successes and barriers, on their journeys through the education and career pathway.  ERN has created an amazing community for so many people to give voice to all their STEM experiences.

Hear, hear! It is a pleasure to see the work of this critical effort continuing to succeed at empowering the next generation of STEM professionals and making some of the "missing millions" visible and heard. Keep up the great work, ERN Team!

We are on the road traveling through an area with limited connections, so we decided to combine our thoughts, since we have had similar experiences from the perspective as judges at the ERN conferences every year since its inception. This has given us the opportunity to see first-hand how students have been transformed and benefitted from doing science research in STEM in a safe, encouraging, and positive learning environment. One of the best words to describe ERN is “transformational”.   Every aspect of pre-conference webinars on how to submit abstracts, present a poster or an oral presentation helped to guide and set up students for a positive experience before coming to the conference.  Every year, we left the conference feeling hope by seeing the power of this conference because we saw the growth, learning and opportunities that increased the student’s confidence and their self-image as a professional and as an “emerging researcher”.  What impressed us the most was how, even in one weekend, we could see “change” in the student’s learning. The ERN conference sets students up for networking, immediate feedback, and the opportunity to be a bridge for the student’s “next steps”. It was so rewarding to see students grow and change from this experience at the conference, or to see a student return the following year with more poise and confidence to act as an informal mentor or role model to others.  This is truly a “giving” conference - Talk about return on investment or paying it forward! The plenary speakers touched hearts through their inspirational messages! We appreciated how ERN made it possible for students to interact with various universities, professors, and peers in the exhibit hall or during informal and formal discussions.  Many students are first generation college students, so having this opportunity to plan, to learn about grants and other research projects, and higher education goals is instrumental in helping to build success.  The positive outreach worked to provide life-changing moments for students, judges, and participants by giving a feeling of connectedness and possibilities.  It has been an honor to be part of this program! 

What amazing work - reaching all students including students with disabilities! The community building aspect of your work is extremely important and extremely challenging to do especially in diverse spaces with diverse interests. I love that they're building holistic skills that carry over into their careers. Thank you for sharing. 

To echo what Dr. Malcolm said, ERN really is a gathering of family. I have served as a judge for for past ERN conferences. There is no mistaking the joy and excitement the students have when they present their research. Serving as a judge served was one of the highlights of my year. For a lot of the students, ERN is the first opportunity to present their research and to be able to do this around their peers who look like them creates a safe space for them. The conference also has amazing, motivating speakers to keep the students engaged. 

What a fantastic program. In general institutions and/or conferences do not do enough for students with disabilities and what you are doing with the ERN Conference is outstanding and commendable. Thank you for your work and for including all individuals and for bringing attention to not only URM students but even more so those with disabilities. If possible could you share some specific examples of educational and professional programs that you are offering for those who specifically have a disability and are in the STEM field. I am also wondering if you have done a self-study or evaluation process and documented outcomes, are you following the progress of any of the students that attend. Thank you.