2024 IDEA grant for Qianqian Shao and The Makerspace
In February of 2024, Qianqian Shao, Makerspace volunteer, and Ammon Shepherd, Makerspace Manager, were awarded a Library IDEA grant to provide opportunities for underrepresented students.
In 2022, the Library’s IDEA Committee received library staff requests to help support programming related to IDEA. The success of these projects encouraged the committee to create a process to support and promote staff-generated programming pertaining to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility across the library.
Our proposal was to welcome 4 female Black and Latino/Hispanic students, along with 2 teachers, from Annandale High School to the UVA campus and the library for the Spring of 2024. The students will have a tour of Grounds with a focus on UVA libraries. The students will visit the Lawn and Rotunda to learn about the history of UVA. They will visit Brown, Clemons, and Main Libraries to learn about the resources available to UVA students. The Scholars’ Lab Makerspace will host a workshop for the students while they are at UVA.
The following is taken from a presentation that Qianqian gave to the Library at a monthly “Town Hall” meeting to report on the success of the initiative.
Good afternoon, everyone.
My name is Qianqian, I’m a PhD candidate (graduated on November 5, 2024) from the Chemistry department. Today, I’m excited to share with you the highlights from an impactful event that took place as part of my IDEA project.
First of all, I would like to thank you for funding my proposal, which made this event possible. Your support allowed me to create a truly impactful experience for underrepresented Black, Hispanic and Latino female high school students, showing them the opportunities available in higher education.
On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, we had the pleasure of welcoming five students and two teachers from Annandale High School for a one-day visit to the University of Virginia. The goal was to inspire these young women by introducing them to both the academic and social aspects of college life, showing them what’s possible for their futures, and what kind of resources our library can provide.
The day began at the Chemistry Department, where they were guided by Dr. Marcos Pires, the Director of Graduate Studies of Chemistry. He provided an overview of the chemistry program and offered insights into the broader STEM opportunities available at UVA.
Following that, with the help of Kalea Obermeyer and Michelle Bair, program coordinators of the Hoos First: First-Generation & Limited-Income Initiatives, along with Kimberly Wong, the students had the opportunity to connect with UVA students from their home countries. This connection helped them see how they could build a community of support as they begin their own college journeys.
Then, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Adrienne Ghaly from the English Department, who gave an inspiring presentation on global citizenship and global policy. She also shared her project, “Read for Action: Climate, Conflict, and Humanitarian Crisis,” which is in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Dr. Ghaly’s session sparked meaningful discussions, helping the students understand how reading books in a library can connect to a deeper understanding of broader global issues.
After the presentation, the students enjoyed a campus tour and lunch in the Shannon Library, where they met two guest speakers, Samuel Wachamo and Giovanna Camacho, who are pursuing MD and PhD programs at UVA. These interactions provided the students with first-hand insights into the experiences of Hispanic, Black and Latino individuals in higher education and how they can navigate similar paths.
The students also got a chance to audit Dr. David Kittlesen’s immunology lecture after lunch.
To wrap up the day, the students visited the Scholars’ Lab Makerspace, where the students explored a variety of hands-on activities, learning about the innovative equipment available to UVA students. They even made personalized buttons as part of their experience. It was a fun and interactive way to introduce them to the creative and collaborative opportunities they could expect in college.
Overall, the visit was a tremendous success. The students and teachers left UVA having made valuable connections with both professors and current students, and they expressed a newfound sense of excitement about their future educational possibilities.
Special thanks to Makerspace manager Ammon Shepherd, who supervised my project, and to Makerspace technician Kroesna Chour for assisting during the event. I managed all aspects of the event myself, except during lunch when I had to arrange catering at Shannon Library. At that time, Summer (Wenxin) Xu kindly picked up the food while I guided the students to meet Dr. Ghaly in the English Department. Later, Kroesna helped lead the group to the library, allowing me to finalize the setup for catering. I couldn’t have accomplished this event without their support.