VOICES for Social Justice

In this episode of VOICES for Social Justice, Lien has a heartfelt discussion with Michelle Lee (Computer Science Content Specialist in a public Bay Area district) and Lily Ho (Computer Science Lead Educator at NYC Department of Education) about their experiences as AAPI women in the United States. The trio discuss the historical context that has led us to where we are today, explore the Model Minority Myth and its impact on the education system — specifically on young AAPI girls in STEM, and make the case for decolonizing our curriculum.Host: Lien Diaz, director of educational innovation and leadership at the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing, Michelle Lee (Computer Science Content Specialist in a public Bay Area school district) and Lily Ho (Computer Science Lead Educator at NYC Department of Education)RESOURCES:CS Teacher Resources: -Social Justice Activities Choice Board - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yWCukehyePDX7NSwhuUp-5Q3nEaYHg_R_k9mz0t6abg/edit?usp=sharing- SFUSD Computer Science Team-Created Lessons - https://sites.google.com/sfusd.edu/k-2cs/red/red-distance-learning-lessons- Anti-Racist Lesson Procedure - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1avRj9J0oKjteuTFPSz5DWGzwjDTPydY60H7a7OHVTQM/edit#slide=id.g8c9a605387_0_372Articles:- The history of tensions — and solidarity — between Black and Asian American communities, explained - https://www.vox.com/22321234/black-asian-american-tensions-solidarity-history- Racism Has Always Been Part of the Asian American Experience - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/we-are-constantly-reproducing-anti-asian-racism/618647/Zeitgeist Texts: - On the multiple factors, including how the Black Civil Rights movement and foreign affairs, impacted the determination of American racial hierarchy with the rise of the model minority in this text: The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Dr. Ellen D. Wu (https://bookshop.org/books/the-color-of-success-asian-americans-and-the-origins-of-the-model-minority/9780691168029?sscid=41k5_sp3x1&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=314743&utm_term=1535322)- On the first scapegoating of Asian Americans in a public health crisis, and the AAPI's powerful activism in countering the rhetoric (relevant to our current COVID19 context) in this text: Contagious Divides by Nayan Shah (https://bookshop.org/books/contagious-divides-epidemics-and-race-in-san-francisco-s-chinatown-9780520226296/9780520226296?sscid=41k5_sp5co&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=314743&utm_term=1535322)What to Watch:- Baby Cobra with Ali Wong - https://www.netflix.com/title/80101493- Hashtag Blessed with Dr. Jason Leong - https://www.netflix.com/title/81310349- Asian Americans - https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/CONNECT ON SOCIAL:Twitter- Constellations: @gt_ccec- Michelle: @michellegleeCS- Lily: @curatecuriosityLEARN MORE ABOUT VOICES at http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-alliance

This month we’re talking about money. That’s right, funding plays a huge role in achieving equity in education and we are exploring the many facets of the world of philanthropic educational funding. We dig deep into the grant-making process, including what makes a grant proposal stand out, tips for finding funding resources, and more with our friend, Josh Elder, director of grants management at the Siegel Family Endowment.Josh also shares his experiences of growing up in rural Virginia and how a teacher’s encouragement led Josh to teach halfway around the world before eventually pivoting to his philanthropic work.Host: Lien Diaz, director of educational innovation and leadership at the Constellations Center for Equity in ComputingGuest: Joshua Elder, director of grants management at the Siegel Family Endowment*Disclosure: Constellations has previously received funding from the Siegel Family Endowment.RELATED LINKS:VOICES - http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-alliance Siegel Family Endowment - https://www.siegelendowment.org/ Follow Constellations on Twitter at @GT_CCEC - https://twitter.com/GT_CCEC Follow SFE on Twitter at @siegelendowment - https://twitter.com/siegelendowment

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Executive Director Jake Baskin joins the podcast to discuss the isolation that teachers, especially computer science teachers, often experience, the CSTA Equity Fellows program, and what he hopes the education system will take away our time teaching in a pandemic.Jake also applauds the CS Ed community on how much policy work has been done, shares his best professional development experience, and drops a hint on where a future CSTA Annual Conference could be held. Plus, he wins the award for being our first guest to render Lien speechless!Host: Lien DiazGuest: Jake Baskin, executive director at Computer Science Teachers AssociationRelated Links:VOICES - http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-allianceCSTA - http://csteachers.org/CSTA Equity Fellows - http://csteachers.org/page/csta-equity-fellowshipCS K-12 Standards - http://csteachers.org/page/about-csta-s-k-12-nbsp-standardsStandards for Teachers - http://csteachers.org/page/standards-for-cs-teachersCSTA 2021 Annual Conference - http://web.cvent.com/event/354be991-0b98-48e0-b4d3-0e32b72a6e49/summary Connect with Us on Social Media:Follow Constellations on Twitter at @GT_CCECFollow Jake Baskin on Twitter at @jakebaskFollow CSTA on Twitter at @csteachersorg

It’s Black History Month and we couldn’t think of anyone better to celebrate with than Nicki Washington. Washington was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from North Carolina State University and was the first Black female faculty member of Howard University’s computer science department. In 2019, she was inducted into the Computer Science Hall of Fame. She is currently a professor of practice at Duke University.In this episode of VOICES, Washington explains the importance of lifting others while you climb, the significance of Kamala Harris being elected as vice president of the United States for BIPOC communities, shares stories from her book, Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field, and much, much more.Get your notepad and pen ready, because you’ll want to take notes from the most unapologetically dope woman ever.Host: Lien DiazGuest: Nicki Washington, professor of practice at Duke University and author of Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech FieldRelated Links- VOICES (http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-alliance)- About Nicki (https://nickiwashington.com/)- Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field (https://nickiwashington.com/shop/)- Follow Constellations on Twitter at @GT_CCEC (https://twitter.com/GT_CCEC)- Follow Nicki on Twitter at @dr_nickiw (https://twitter.com/dr_nickiw)

Ruthe Farmer, a leader in expanding access to computer science education joins the podcast to talk about her new initiative, The Last Mile Education Fund. The Last Mile is a disruptive approach to increasing diversity in engineering and tech and offers financial support for underrepresented students who are close to graduating. Farmer shares heartfelt stories that inspired the creation of the non-profit that will break your heart.Farmer also gives us the inside scoop on the PROMOTES Act of 2020, a bill that she helped write, and tips on how to present your policy ideas so they can be put into action.Host: Lien DiazGuest: Ruthe Farmer, Chief Evangelist at CS4All and Founder and CEO of The Last Mile Education FundRelated Links:VOICES: http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-allianceCS4All: https://www.csforall.org/ The Last Mile Education Fund: https://www.lastmile-ed.org/ Follow Ruthe on Twitter: @ruthefFollow Constellations on Twitter: @gt_ccec

It’s Computer Science Education Week! To celebrate, we are joined by Jannie Fernandez from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and TECHNOLOchicas to talk about the impact of CS Ed Week over the years, how we can better support women –specifically Latina women – in technology, and what it means to have the first female vice president in United States history.Host: Lien DiazGuest: Jannie Fernandez, Director K-12 Alliance and TECHNOLOchicasRelated Links: VOICES: http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-allianceNCWIT: https://www.ncwit.org/ TECHNOLOchicas: https://technolochicas.org/ Follow the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing on Twitter: @GT_CCEC

Do racism and classism still exist in U.S. classrooms? How has Covid-19 exposed the depths of inequities in our education system? How can professional development be better designed to help teachers succeed? We’re joined by leading education experts, Gail Chapman and Dale Reed to discuss the current state of American education and what future improvements need to be made.Host: Lien DiazGuests: Gail Chapman (Director of Outreach at Exploring Computer Science) and Dale Reed (Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago and Director of Curriculum at Break Through Tech Chicago)LINKS:www.constellations.gatech.eduhttp://www.exploringcs.org/https://breakthroughtech.org/SOCIAL MEDIA:Constellations: @gt_ccecLien Diaz: @Lien_DiazGail Chapman: @GailLChapmanDale Reed: @TeachingCS

Today we’re joined by two experts to discuss how bias and fairness in algorithms slowly impact human behavior over time. From how our social media feeds can become dangerous echo-chambers to what ads we see as we scroll through Instagram, we address how this can affect our buying habits, mental health, political views, and more. Our experts also give advice on how to protect you and your family’s data.Host: Lien DiazGuests: Swati Gupta (Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial Systems and Engineering) and Wenke Lee (Director of the Institute for Information Security & Privacy at Georgia Tech)Learn more about VOICES for Social Justice: http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-alliance Follow Swati on Twitter at @swati1729

2020 has officially gone topsy-turvy. Between a pandemic and a contentious election year, issues like racial and gender equality, healthcare, the economy, and education are more at stake than ever. One silver lining is that teacher’s superpowers and large cracks in our education system have been unveiled for all to see. In episode four of VOICES, we spoke with Charity Freeman and LaShawne Long-Myles, teachers in Chicago Public Schools and Atlanta Public Schools about teaching in a time of crisis. They dig into how their districts have been handling Covid-19 and its effects on their classrooms, their experiences as Black and female educators, redlining, and what is keeping them motivated throughout these chaotic times.Host: Lien DiazGuests: Charity Freeman and LaShawne Long-MylesLearn more about VOICES for Social Justice: http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-alliance

In episode three of VOICES, Lien Diaz talks with Jean Ryoo, Joanna Goode, and Jane Margolis on what access really means, the impact of Covid-19 on the education system, and a decade after its publishing, reflects on Margolis and Goode’s groundbreaking book, Stuck in the Shallow End.Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/w09Dm8qz2so

Lien Diaz is joined by Art Lopez, a 33-year veteran teacher at Sweetwater High School in San Diego, Calif., CSTA San Diego chapter president, and CSTA Grades 9-12 representative to the Board of Directors. Together, the duo discusses how to support Latinx students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Another major focal point of their conversation is how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted schools, especially schools that are regularly underfunded and whose populations are predominantly Black or people of color.Guest: Art LopezVOICES: http://constellations.gatech.edu/voices-social-justice-allianceWatch the episode: https://youtu.be/mwH1D-F3qv8

To kick off the series, Constellations Director of Innovation and Educational Leadership Lien Diaz spoke with Stephanie Rodriguez, vice president of policy and engagement at AnitaB.org.Together, the women explored the current landscape of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for women and minorities, what challenges these groups are facing when it comes to upward mobility and income inequality, and what AnitaB.org is doing to help close these gaps.With a background in immunology and policy, Rodriguez brought a unique perspective when discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the tech workforce, education systems, and the 2020 election.This video was recorded on April 30, 2020.LINKS- Top Companies for Women Technologists - https://anitab.org/research-and-impact/top-companies/faq/- Building, Recruiting, and Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) Program - https://anitab.org/braid/- AnitaB.org 2020 Election Toolkit - https://anitab.org/blog/policy-advocacy/the-women-in-tech-election-toolkit-is-now-live/- Policy engagement at AnitaB.org - https://anitab.org/policy-engagement/- Connect with AnitaB.org on Twitter at @AnitaB_org and Stephanie at @StephRod_PHD- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/ELD74fRwX_M