For the third year, the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing is participating in the STEM for All Video Showcase, a free virtual event taking place May 11-18 and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Constellations’ video, entitled The Constellations Approach During COVID19: Adapt & Nurture showcases how the center pivoted its efforts to broaden participation in computing from in-person to online due to the coronavirus pandemic. It also highlights the center’s ongoing social justice efforts, including the launch of its podcast VOICES for Social Justice.
Since 2018, Constellations has partnered with Atlanta Public Schools to offer hybrid support of students and teachers implementing a computer science curriculum in their schools. The center also provided in-person professional development workshops for educators. When in-person events ceased to be possible in 2020 because of Covid-19, the center quickly shifted its efforts into creating virtual opportunities to continue to support educators during this time of crisis.
In June 2020, the center hosted its first annual Constellations Virtual Professional Development Summit. The event brought in more than 700 attendees worldwide. The center continued to host successful virtual events including a Getting Ready for Computer Science Education Week workshop and a summit for Georgia educators in collaboration with CS4GA and the Georgia Department of Education.
“I’m very proud of how our team has been able to adapt to all of the curveballs that have been thrown our way for the last year. We have enjoyed creating these opportunities for educators to convene and find community with one another while furthering their skills and many important conversations regarding social justice issues in America,” said Lien Diaz, Constellations director of educational innovation and leadership.
Now in its seventh year, the showcase regularly hosts 200 videos, drawing over 80,000 views from more than 180 countries. During the seven-day event, practitioners, researchers, administrators, policymakers, industry representatives, principal investigators, and the general public are invited and encouraged to participate.
All participants can watch videos, post to facilitated discussion threads, and vote for videos in three categories; Facilitators’ Choice, Presenters’ Choice, and Public Choice. The theme, “STEM for All: COVID, Equity, & Social Justice” asks NSF-funded organizations to highlight the impact of Covid-19 on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning and projects that are addressing the need to broaden participation in STEM fields.
This event is created by TERC and is funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #1922641). TERC co-facilitates the event with their partners, STEMTLnet, CADRE, CIRCLS, CAISE, STELAR, CS For All Teachers, NARST, NCTM, NSTA, NSF INCLUDES, and QEM.
