ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS ACTING LOCALLY

ESAL HAS HOSTED 8 CONFERENCE SESSIONS AND 1 POSTER AT THE OSTEM CONFERENCE, SACNAS NDISTEM, AGU 24, NSBE ANNUAL CONVENTION, SCITALK 25, THE NSPN SYMPOSIUM, AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF IMMUNOLOGISTS ANNUAL MEETING. WE TRAINED 400+ PEOPLE THROUGH THESE SESSIONS AND HOSTED THREE COMMUNITY CLEANUP EVENTS IN SAN LEANDRO AND CENTRAL VALLEY, CA ESAL IS BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH GROUPS, LIKE THE CONSERVATION X LABS FIRE GRAND CHALLENGE AND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM G20 GLOBAL SMART CITIES ALLIANCE, TO FIELD THEIR REQUESTS FOR EXPERTISE AND CONNECTIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE ESAL NETWORK. IN THE FIRE GRAND CHALLENGE, ESAL IS AN AMPLIFYING PARTNER, PROMOTING ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STEM FOLKS. FOR THE SMART CITIES ALLIANCE, ESAL CONNECTED THEIR STAFF TO 4 LAND SUBSIDENCE EXPERTS TO INTERVIEW FOR A PROJECT THEY WERE DEVELOPING IN INDONESIA. ESAL CO-HOSTED A NETWORKING EVENT AT THE AAAS ANNUAL MEETING IN BOSTON WITH THE NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY NETWORK AND ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS ENGAGING IN POLICY (ESEP). 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED. ESAL HOSTED AND PARTICIPATED IN 4 COMPLIMENTARY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS FOR STEM PHDS AND POSTDOCS (GPS-STEM) SCIENCE POLICY & ADVOCACY FOR STEM SCIENTISTS, (2) THE NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY NETWORK BLACK IN SCIPOL VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM, (3) MIRZAYAN FELLOWS, AND (4) AAAS STPF ALUMNI LOCAL ENGAGEMENT WEBINAR. IN TOTAL, ABOUT 100 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN THESE COMPLIMENTARY SESSIONS. ESAL LED 2 PAID WORKSHOPS FOR 10 ASPET WASHINGTON FELLOWS AND 11 MEMBERS OF THE NSBE ENERGY SIG. ESAL HAS HOSTED 2 PUBLIC, VIRTUAL EVENTS ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE AND ABOUT FINDING JOBS AND BUILDING CAREERS IN LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS. 200 PEOPLE REGISTERED TO ATTEND AND ABOUT 90 TOTAL TUNED IN LIVE. ESAL HOSTED 2 EXHIBITOR TABLES AT THE AGU 24 CONFERENCE AND AT THE NCSL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT, SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH AN ESTIMATED 250 PEOPLE INTERESTED IN ESALS WORK. ESAL BUILT OUT AN ONLINE PLATFORM FOR PEOPLE WITH STEM BACKGROUNDS WHO WANT INFORMATION, SUPPORT, AND CONNECTION. THE PLATFORM IS A TOOL TO BUILD MORE COLLECTIVE CAPACITY FOR LOCAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE NETWORK. IT LAUNCHED IN JULY 2025 AND HAS OVER 200 NETWORK MEMBERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.