#Change: How Social Media is Accelerating STEM Inclusion

TL;DR

This paper explores how social media campaigns like #XinSTEM are transforming STEM inclusion efforts by fostering community and leadership among underrepresented groups, offering strategies for institutions to support these movements.

Contribution

It introduces the role of #XinSTEM social media campaigns in accelerating diversity and inclusion in STEM and provides actionable recommendations for institutions.

Findings

#XinSTEM campaigns redefine community in STEM.

Social media accelerates diversity and inclusion efforts.

Recommendations for institutional support of #XinSTEM.

Abstract

The vision of 2030STEM is to address systemic barriers in institutional structures and funding mechanisms required to achieve full inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and provide leadership opportunities for individuals from underrepresented populations across STEM sectors. 2030STEM takes a systems-level approach to create a community of practice that affirms diverse cultural identities in STEM. This is the first in a series of white papers based on 2030STEM Salons - discussions that bring together visionary stakeholders in STEM to think about innovative ways to infuse justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion into the STEM ecosystem. Our salons identify solutions that come from those who have been most affected by systemic barriers in STEM. Our first salon focused on the power of social media to accelerate inclusion and diversity efforts in STEM. Social media campaigns, such as the #XinSTEM initiatives, are powerful new strategies for accelerating change towards inclusion and leadership by underrepresented communities in STEM. This white paper highlights how #XinSTEM campaigns are redefining community, and provides recommendations for how scientific and funding institutions can improve the STEM ecosystem by supporting the #XinSTEM movement.