The Afterschool Alliance and NGCP Partnership 
In 2015 the NGCP's National Science Foundation grant: Building the Capacity of STEM Practitioners to Develop a Diverse Workforce, transferred to the Afterschool Alliance as the new fiscal sponsor. We are pleased to be partnering with the Afterschool Alliance to encourage more girls to consider STEM and look forward to increased impact resulting from this partnership.

The Afterschool Alliance, is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. They are dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for more afterschool investments.

Anita Krishnamurthi, Vice President, STEM Policy serves as Co-Principal Investigator for NGCP. In 2012 she was awarded the Outstanding Individual Commitment to Collaboration Award by the NGCP. Anita said, "The Afterschool Alliance is delighted to be working with NGCP on this project. Our America After 3PM report shows that girls attend afterschool STEM programs in equal numbers to boys. We need to make sure that this equal participation is leveraged to address imbalances in girls' participation in high school and college STEM courses and careers in STEM fields. We look forward to working with our NGCP partners to achieve this goal."

Jenny Lay-Flurrie Appointed New Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft
Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chair of the Disability Employee Resource Group at Microsoft, has been named the company's new chief accessibility officer. The appointment bolsters Microsoft's efforts to drive accessibility throughout its product portfolio. In this new role, Jenny will lead a cross-company advisory team focused on accessibility, inclusion, and transparency.

Jenny, who is profoundly deaf, has been a long-time partner with the NGCP and has served as key note speaker at many NGCP events. To learn more about her and the importance of promoting the awareness of disability inclusion, check out a six minute video, produced by NGCP, called Ability in the Workplace: A conversation with Jenny Lay-Flurrie. Congratulations Jenny!

MAGiC Forum: Solving the Equation: Variables for Women's Success in Engineering and Computing
College Park, MD; February 13, 2016; 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Eastern
Organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of girls in STEM fields are invited to attend this free forum featuring a presentation of the newly released research report by the American Association of University Women - Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women's Success in Engineering and Computing. Participants will learn how to become involved in MAGiC, connect with organizations, K-12 educators, community college educators, university educators, and informal educators working in the Mid-Atlantic region to advance girls in STEM fields. Register.

BirdSleuth: Habitat Connections Ornithology Curriculum for Afterschool Programs
Wilsonville, OR; February 27, 2016 9:00-4:00 PM Pacific
Participants will explore curriculum developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, discuss strategies for implementing 10 lessons of hands-on science activities, and learn how to use citizen science tools to create learning opportunities in the field. Training participants will receive seven hours of Set Two credit from the Oregon Registry in the Core Knowledge category of Learning Environments and Curriculum and receive curriculum kits from Cornell University. Register.

Habitat Connections: Exploring Your Local Environment through Birds and Citizen Science
Seattle, WA; March 14, 2016; 9:00 AM-4:30 PM Pacific
Participants will be introduced to curriculum developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and will discover how to engage girls and boys (ages 8-13) through inquiry-based STEM instruction. Materials are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core standards. A tour of the Ornithology exhibit at the Burke Museum and a short presentation on museum resources will be available. This free workshop is appropriate for K-12 formal and informal educators. Register.

Habitat Connections: Exploring Your Local Environment through Birds and Citizen Science
Bozeman, MT; March 31, 2016; 9:00 AM-3:30 PM Mountain
Participants will be introduced to curriculum developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and will discover how to engage girls and boys (ages 8-13) through inquiry-based STEM instruction. The first 20 qualifying registrants will receive a 7-lesson curriculum guide. Materials are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core standards. This free workshop is appropriate for both K-12 and informal educators; no experience with birds or citizen science is required. Register.

SciGirls Full Day Workshop - Frisco Public Library
Frisco, TX; May 3, 2016; 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Central
Educators are invited to participate in SciGirls professional development opportunities and discover how to engage girls (ages 8-13) through research-based, high quality activities and resources. Participants will learn the latest research for exciting and engaging girls (and boys) in STEM; experience hands-on STEM activities; and gain access to free materials for hands-on, video-enhanced activities that put a creative twist on teaching. Register.