VSTE News

VSTE values human differences and welcomes diverse voices that help us serve our membership, students, and teachers across the Commonwealth better. For over a year, the Ad Hoc Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, co-chaired by Nicci Dowd and Amy Stewart, has been meeting and working on projects to further the participation of underrepresented groups in educational technology leadership across Virginia. Through the establishment of a mentoring program and planning targeted professional development activities, the members of the task force are giving their time and making a concerted effort to level the playing field and welcome new voices.

The task force is soliciting applicant for the Mentorship Program. This program, begun in 2019, is targeted towards minority educators so that the educational technology field in Virginia becomes diversified and inclusive for all people. This mentorship opportunity will pair non-minority/minority mentors with minority mentees. Learn more about the program here.

Mentors will help build the mentee's professional learning networks and connections, while also helping to increase the mentee's knowledge of educational technology. This mentorship program is for classroom teachers, instructional technology teachers, technology teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals who are committed to gain educational technology experience through a year-long mentorship program.

The interest survey is open now. Please consider applying to be a mentor or mentee.

The definition of minority educator for the purposes of this program are as follows:

Individuals that identify their race as African American/Black, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiians, Multi-racial, Arab, etc.
Individuals that identify gender as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, or Asexual+
Individuals that identify as non-able bodied