DO-IT Cohosts Event at AAAS Conference

Students complete a science project at the AAAS luncheon.

DO-IT teamed up with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to host a luncheon and career workshop for students and scientists with disabilities at the February AAAS annual meeting in Seattle, WA. This event was a huge success, with more than a hundred students, parents, teachers, and scientists in attendance.

Students learned about internships available through DO-IT's AccessSTEM project (https://www.washington.edu/doit/programs/accessstem/overview) and heard firsthand from previous interns. They participated in hands-on science activities and networked with scientists to learn more about careers that they were interested in. The day concluded with a career workshop where students learned more about preparing for careers in science, including why work-based learning experiences are important. They also developed action plans to determine what steps they should take to maximize their success in the field of science. Feedback from participants included the following:

• "It was very, very exciting-lots of new and interesting things to see; there were lots of jobs and careers talked about and presented. They had marine biologists, scientists, computer technologists, and astronomers. I was just amazed how many jobs and careers there are in science."
• "I got to talk to a satellite scientist and learned that opportunities exist at NASA for me, like working with satellites that monitor the Earth—you know, the climate and stuff. I want to do things like plan trips to Mars, build satellites and space vehicles, and design cars."