Participants will learn about the importance of accessibility, will receive resources for how to make programming more accessible, as well as how to increase awareness about the importance of accessibility, including lessons learned during the pandemic and how it may influence the future of accessible learning. Presenters: Crystal R. Emery, founder and CEO of URU The Right to Be, and Sheryl Burgstahler, Director and Founder of the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) team and the IT Accessibility Technology Team at the University of Washington.

Along with our national offerings, NGCP operates on a local basis via local Collaboratives. Each Collaborative has a defined region, acting as a hub for local programs to coordinate resources and reach girl-serving STEM programs in the community. Joining a Collaborative is a great way to stay informed of girl-serving events, programming, and offerings near you. Participants will learn more about local Collaboratives, what they do, and how they work within communities, including how to get involved with a Collaborative. Collaborative leads will share how they work with their local networks to bring together resources, programming, and offerings for youth in their regions.

The department of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo is looking for undergraduate students to share their experiences in computer courses, classes, and camps attended prior to becoming university students. The survey is open until May 17, 2021. Learn more.

Each month, this spotlight will highlight new programs, resources, and role models that are part of IF/THEN®, an initiative from Lyda Hill Philanthropies designed to activate a culture shift among young girls and introduce them to STEM careers.

For National Space Day (May 7, 2021) we are spotlighting the IF/THEN® curated Space and Aviation resources with activities, videos, and photos featuring women leading the way in their fields from NASA scientists to aviation engineers and astrophysicists. Here are a few of our favorites:

NGCP is hosting a series of webinars featuring the IF/THEN® Collection that will highlight ways to use the resources to support equity, increase representation of women in STEM, and engage girls in STEM.

AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors will engage in a conversation about the importance of representation and role models in STEM. Learn how to use the IF/THEN® Collection resources to support equity and increase the representation of women in STEM.

GoldieBlox educates and empowers girls by creating engaging content, fun toys, and resources, including Curiosity Camp. Learn how to use the IF/THEN® Collection and Curiosity Camp resources to support gender equity, and hear from some of the stars of Curiosity Camp.

Participants will learn more about the many IF/THEN® Collection resources specifically designed for afterschool and informal STEM programming.

NGCP Collaborative leads and local educators will showcase how they utilize the IF/THEN® Collection resources in their programming to engage girls in STEM.

Managed by NGCP, the IF/THEN® Collection includes thousands of images, videos, posters, and materials available at no cost to educators across the U.S. to use in classrooms, social media, camps, museum exhibits, and more. Stay connected to IF/THEN® on social media:

Educational leaders will present new ideas, teaching techniques, and experts in science and STEM education will discuss research-based strategies that promote imaginative learning and student engagement. Join NGCP on May 8, 2021 at 5:30 PM Eastern, for a presentation entitled, IF/THEN®: Inspiring the next generation of women in STEM. Conference sessions will be available in the on-demand library for 90 days following the event. Register.

This conference will feature curated, skills-based training workshops focused on the goal of making investments in rebuilding resilient organizations, an opportunity for critical networking and social events during the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Register.

The National Week of Making highlights the diversity of Makers, and is an opportunity for individuals in communities throughout the U.S. to participate in Making activities locally, celebrating the innovation, ingenuity, and creativity of Makers. Learn more.

Reinvent-a-thon is a month-long event consisting of a competition, a STEM speaker series, and a mentorship program for youth in grades 8-12. All participants will be paired with professional women in STEM mentors to help them build their STEM projects and will also receive a free swag bag shipped directly to them. Registration deadline May 19, 2021. Register.

The summit will focus on research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further efforts in creating inclusive cultures. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in conversations, Q&As, and on-demand videos with educators, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and social scientists from across industries and disciplines. Learn more.

The CSTA conference is a professional development opportunity for CS and IT teachers and administrators who need practical, classroom-focused information to help prepare their students for the future. Participants will have the opportunity to learn, network, and interact while exploring issues and trends relating directly to the classroom. Register.

This National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) conference is an opportunity for stakeholders in the summer learning movement to share resources, best practices, and solutions for summer learning and afterschool programs. Early bird rate ends May 31, 2019. Register.

The Connectory showcases STEAM opportunities for youth to families and is a free online collaboration tool for providers to help find partners based on interests and needs.

Both the National Week of Making and National Inventors Month fall in May. Did you know you can find K-12 opportunities for both interest areas in The Connectory? On the Find an Opportunity page, scroll down on the Filter Results sidebar and then select either “Invention Education” or “Making/DIY” under Area of Interest — or select both to find opportunities that incorporate both interests.

One opportunity that spans both interest areas is the Make It! Innovation Design Lab, available in Seattle this summer and open to high school students nationwide. Using the Engineering Design Process (the same one used by NASA and Apple) students will discover how to take an idea from a thought in their heads to a physical project they create.

Get Started and stay connected to The Connectory:

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, resources that promote representation and students' academic and professional development are listed below.

SciStarter, an online hub featuring more than 3,000 citizen science projects, is launching the National Citizen and Community Science Library Network to provide training, support, and resources, to libraries interested in becoming a community hub for citizen science. Individuals, groups, or organizations interested in supporting library engagement in citizen science are also invited to join. Learn more.

This blog about the Million Girls Moonshot, STEM Next Opportunity Fund details six ways to introduce and expand STEM opportunities for girls to re-imagine summer STEM learning opportunities, push back against gender stereotypes, and positively influence the way girls are supported in STEM.

NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) is now accepting proposals for two opportunities, due June 17 and July 19, 2021. Eligible proposers include U.S. nonprofit science museums, planetariums, youth-serving organizations, and libraries. Lean more.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) presents the most compelling statistics on women's participation in computing (updated March 25, 2021) on Women and Information Technology: By the Numbers.

The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) access/inclusion and people with different disabilities. GAAD encourage designers, developers, usability professionals, and the general public to take an hour to experience first-hand the impact of digital accessibility (or lack thereof). Learn more and participate.