The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable

GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
National Ambassador of HOPE for WE MATTER Campaign Creating a Global Network o Support for Indigenous Youth - Meet Keenan Bird


My name is Keenan Bird, an Anishnabe/ Ojibwe From the Rolling River First Nation, Manitoba Canada. I am currently a part of the Canadian Roots Exchange in their Research Mentorship program and a part of WE MATTER Campaign as a “National Ambassador of HOPE”. I currently hold a Business Administration Diploma along with Mental Health and Policy Certifications. Here is my story.
What key moments defined you as a leader?
 
I have been a strong voice for the indigenous youth and for the indigenous peoples. The start of my leadership was in high school when I was asked to speak at Indigenous Youth & Elders Gathering Conference. This was where I was put into leadership on behalf of the people, where I learned to lead, and where I spoke for many communities. As a young teen, this was the beginning of my leadership, guided by my ancestral heritage. This led to my drive to become a voice for the indigenous peoples on the global level.
 
What kind of community-driven projects have you spearheaded/participated in that you are personally proud of? What did you take away from these experiences?
 
I have created opportunities for Indigenous Youth in the world through different projects. A highlight I have from creating opportunities for Indigenous Youth to pursue post-secondary education is when I worked on presenting about pitch policy. As a part of the Canadian Roots Exchange program at the Indigenous Youth Policy School, I helped create a policy to support those in post-secondary education. This policy was focused on “Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada - 94 Calls to Action” on Action 11 for funding for Indigenous Students seeking post-secondary education. I pitched this policy to various federal leaders, First Nation Leaders, and Federal Ministers.

Another highlight was when I worked with UNLEASH and the United Nations and the United Nations to address the Systemic Development Goal (SDG) 4 Quality Education in Greenland - Nuuk. This was where people from the Arctic Region developed many innovative ideas to implement for people of the Arctic region in northern countries from Canada, the USA, Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Foe Islands, Belgium & Netherlands. Here I led a group that worked on the quality education goal 4 for the Indigenous/ Inuk peoples and the utilization of the “United Nation Decorations Rights to Indigenous Peoples” Act. The solution we came to utilizes the communities' customs and strengths as indigenous peoples.

How do you connect with your ancestral roots in your professional and personal life?
 
I have been blessed to be working with many communities throughout Canada and in the world. Living in a community that is rich in culture is a dream. It keeps me balanced physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with the land. I also have the ability to attend indigenous cultural ceremonies that keep me humble and provide me with ancestral guidance to transcend into my professional and personal life. This helps me to carry out tasks of revitalizing the indigenous way of life into modern day. 

As an Indigenous leader, what motivates you to move forward in times of adversity? Where do you find your passion?

Being an Indigenous Leader, my motivation is to build a world for indigenous youth to travel and where they can become anything with the support of a world community, wherever they may be in their life.

There are only a few indigenous people in the world that are working on this. However, this will require educated and willing-to-travel indigenous youth leaders. They will help create a sustainable future in which the next-generation can continue to share these experiences.

We are here to be a voice for the Indigenous peoples on the world and international stage. I hope to continue showing youth that the impossible is possible.

SAVE the DATE: Join us in Denver June 7-9

June 7 Inclusive Leader Awards Dinner,
First Gen Leadership Program

June 8, 9 GlobalMindED Conference
2023 Denver, Colorado

Watch the brief video below that The PhD Project produced highlighting the experience at GlobalMindED from several key demographics; students, faculty, and business leaders
Making Impact: Leveraging Collaborations and Partnerships to Advance STEM Equity

Moderated by Dr. Susan Swayze, Founder & CEO Diversity Think Tank. Dr. Swayze is a DEI strategist and expert researcher who created Diversity Think Tank to help organizations identify transformative solutions and accomplish audacious goals. Susan is a highly sought-after speaker on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion with special emphasis on holding conversations about bias, race, and gender pay equity. She has inspired audiences in Africa, Brazil, Canada, and across the U.S. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Swayze has authored three books and more than 50 scholarly works. Speakers include:

Melvin Stallings, President, Cyber Green Group
CGG is a workforce training non-profit for teachers and students in STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, and Math) that trains, educates, and creates innovators of the future. Mr. Stallings is also a Curriculum Development Specialist and has written many math and science curriculums for high schools throughout the US. He has presented professional development workshops at local and national conferences and managed various STEAM initiatives for over 1,500 students in subject areas like Cyber Forensic, Biomedical Engineering, Coding, and the Art of Green Science across the US.

Dr. Janelle M. Johnson, Associate Professor of STEM Education, Metropolitan State University
Dr. Johnson is co-editor of “STEM21: Equity in Teaching and Learning to Meet Global Challenges of Standards, Engagement, and Transformation” (2018). Her research focuses on interdisciplinary STEM equity and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. Janelle taught K-12 math and science with English Learners primarily in Guatemala, and now teaches multicultural education and science methods at the university. Dr. Johnson is on the board of the Colorado Assoc. of Science Teachers, the Director of the Colorado STEM Ecosystem 2.0, and she served on the Council of State Science Supervisors ACESSE Network in the disrupting ableism affinity group.

Lisette Torres-Gerald, Senior Research Associate and Program Coordinator, TERC
Dr. Torres-Gerald is a scientist and disabled scholar-activist at TERC, a non-profit made up of teams of math and science education and research experts. Her academic research focuses on addressing racial and gender inequity in science and higher education. Lisette is an active member of Science
for the People and a co-founder and executive board member of the National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities. Dr. Torres-Gerald is also an advisory board member of Science Friday’s Breakthrough Dialogues Program and the Invisible Disability Project (IDP)

Rubi Amateco, Biology Student, Metropolitan State University
Highlights from the Resolve to Solve in Atlanta below. You can watch a YouTube video of the entire day,thanks to WABE/PBS Atlanta.
Rose Scott with Dr. Glenda Glover, Dr. David Thomas, and Dr. M. Brian Blake
Michael Render, AKA "Killer Mike"
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the complete program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
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