1. Greetings from the Executive Director
Dear IAGD Community,
We have worked to create an organization that is community driven. The IAGD is constantly looking for individuals who are interested in collaborating to create accessible instructional materials, inclusive learning experiences, or even write grants to pursue inclusive geoscience education research. If this is something that you are interested in doing, please contact us!
One of the main goals of the IAGD is to be on the cutting-edge of research and resource development in order to keep students and geoscientists with disabilities included and engaged in all geoscience disciplines. We cannot do this without the active engagement of the entire community. Most of what we know is a result of the innovative materials and experiences that many of you have created to support your students long before support was ever available. Let us hear from you! Share your ideas and examples of innovative inclusive practices in the classroom, laboratory, and field environments.
Finally, allow me to offer a brief reminder of the power of the IAGD community in action. We’ve all seen many occasions when geoscience instructors and students have posted questions to the listserv. These questions may have to do with supporting a student with a visual disability in an introductory Geology course, or a student seeking advice when they are constantly being denied testing accommodations. Every time we see a near immediate response of members offering suggestions or words of encouragement. I personally enjoy seeing where these responses are coming from. We have over 25 countries represented on the IAGD. This creates an amazing diversity of perspectives, all focusing on breaking down the barriers of inclusion. Don’t hesitate to use the listerv, there is a world of experience waiting to be tapped into. If you’re not sure that you are on the IAGD listerv, just go to www.TheIAGD.org and click the button to “Join the Google Group”. I look forward to seeing what our global community can accomplish together.
With much appreciation,
Chris Atchison
