Inclusive Design
I began developing my graphic design skills as a hobby in 2018 as a member of my high school robotics team. During my time on the team, I had the opportunity to participate in a DEI Committee, as well as spearhead our team's efforts to introduce more young women to robotics. While a member of the Playful Learning Lab, I worked on various projects dedicated to expanding STEM education access to traditionally underrepresented groups, where I practiced the principles of accessible graphic design.
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Accessible Curriculum Materials for Students with Low Vision
My favorite graphic design project with the Playful Learning Lab has been implementing accessible design in the curriculum materials for an engineering class at Metro Deaf School, as well as co-creating and leading an online course for educators of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students who want to teach the Scratch programming language in their classrooms.
Introducing Young Women to Robotics
During my Junior and Senior years of high school, I served as Public Relations Captain for my robotics team. My favorite part of the position was spearheading outreach programs. Recognizing the lack of adequate female representation in STEM, I decided to partner with local Girl Scouts troops in hopes of providing the girls an earlier introduction to robotics. In 2018, and again during the fall of 2020, we demonstrated our robots for troops in the New Brighton Council. In December 2020, we expanded our partnership by hosting a virtual event to help the girls earn a robotics badge.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Robotics
In the summer of 2020, students in my school district protested the lack of equity in school activities. In response, one of my robotics mentors began a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. We met regularly that school year to identify and address potentially inequitable practices in our team's structure, as well as learn from the experiences of People of Color working in STEM fields.
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The outcomes of the committee included:
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Eliminating all team fees for students who receive free or reduced lunch
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Plans to reevaluate travel fees post-pandemic
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Ensuring that all team members have free or team-provided equipment and software to complete all tasks during the pandemic
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Providing additional staff support and resources surrounding academic barriers students face during distance learning, including regular grade checks, organizational help sessions, peer tutoring meets, & connection to local mental health support
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A weekly, virtual “STEMinar Series,” open to the entire school, where STEM professionals spoke about their careers to provide students with more diverse role models in STEM
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This experience made me more aware of potentially inequitable practices in organizations. As an entrepreneurship student, this impacted me greatly and encouraged me to prioritize equity in the projects I work on.