What are we doing to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in STEM?

Diversity & Inclusion

Our approach to contributing to the global effort of increasing the diversity of representation in the STEM workforce and enhancing the STEM literacy of our community members is to ensure our programs are equally accessible to all students. We do this by not charging fees; making extra effort to raise visibility and clarity about our programs in communities that typically face barriers to participation; and developing programs that prioritize participation from under-resourced communities. We are also collating resources about STEM diversity and inclusion, related professional organizations, and scholarship opportunities. We are able to do this because of support from all levels of our administration, the institutionalization of community engagement at JMU, and our dedicated faculty and students. 

Equity and Social Justice

We are developing new on-campus high school STEM programs that aim to facilitate students' understanding of social injustices by showing them how they can be part of the solution through applying the skills and ways of thinking used in the integration of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics. These programs will equally frame STEM in the context of society and society in the context of STEM. We are aiming for these programs to be available in Spring 2022. In addition, we are collating lesson plan resources for teaching Science and Mathematics through an equity and social justice lens.