Dear Women & Hi Tech Members, Sponsors, Partners and Friends,

Since 1949, Mental Health America and other health organizations around the country have led the observance of May as Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. According to Mental Health America, "While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health." As Women & Hi Tech President, Angela B. Freeman, noted in the April Edition of this newsletter, "Whether infected or not, coronavirus has had an effect on us all. Not each in the same way or to the same level, but to some degree. The mental, emotional, physical, and financial toll on all of us is different, just like each one of us is different."

We are all still making our way, figuring out how to navigate all the challenges and changes at work, at school, and at home created by the pandemic. We face new emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental challenges as we continue to adapt, embrace, and work collectively and individually to “flatten the curve" and keep one another safe. Mental Health Month is just the reminder each of us needs to "check-in" with our mental health, particularly during these unprecedented and challenging times.

In my research on Mental Health Month, I learned that Mental Health America provides a mental health toolkit, which can be found here.  Mental Health America's theme for 2020, "Tools 2 Thrive, will provide practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency regardless of the situations they are dealing with," are spot-on.  I encourage you to take some time to "check-in" on your mental health and the mental health of your family, friends, co-workers, and other loved ones. We can all use a little support and encouragement from time to time.  Now is the opportunity to stop and be sure we are taking care of ourselves and our fellow neighbor, particularly those who have been materially affected by the pandemic.

For example, school districts, especially urban school districts, have been particularly challenged by the pandemic with school closures and having to transition to remote and online learning quickly.  Many districts, including our own Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), not only had to adapt to teaching and learning remotely in a matter of days, but had the additional challenge of many students not having the tools at home needed for virtual learning. In a school district like IPS, 65% of the over 27,000 student population qualify for free and reduced services. That translates into a large number of students who were put at a learning disadvantage when schools closed because access to a computer, tablet, and/or internet at home was lacking. The IPS Foundation launched the IPS Education Equity Fund to help solve this disparity. You can read more about the IPS Foundation and the Education Equity Fund on the MyIPS.org blog here.

I am delighted to share with you that the Women & Hi Tech board recently voted and unanimously approved to donate $2500, our remaining 2019-2020 K-12 budget, to the IPS Education Equity Fund.  In support of our mission to change the landscape of women represented in STEM to be equally inclusive to all, we believe it starts with our girls, including our diverse girls.  It is our hope and expectation that this donation will provide about 15-16 computers for IPS girls who may have interest to pursue STEM.

“Women & Hi Tech is proud to support the IPS Education Equity Fund, and we make our donation in honor of one of Women & Hi Tech's Leading Light Award Inaugural Winners and IPS IT Officer, Laura Larimer, along with all Women in STEM at IPS and their male allies."

Women & Hi Tech believes that we need to encourage, promote, and ensure that all girls in our community are receiving the education they deserve and equal access to opportunities to pursue an interest in STEM.  Education and opportunity for our girls are the foundation of equality and inclusion for women in the STEM fields, such as information technology (IT). 

In this 17th edition of "Grown from STEM," Women & Hi Tech would like to introduce two extraordinary female IT leaders with impressive careers, both dedicated and passionate about creating equity and inclusion in all that they do. Please meet our Director of Volunteers, Karen Harris, Vice President, and Information Officer of Manufacturing and Quality for Eli Lilly & Co. Please also meet tenured member, Linda Calvin, Vice President of the School of IT at Ivy Tech Community College. Both ladies play vital roles in problem-solving for their organizations and developing the next generation of diverse female IT leaders. Please read more about Karen and Linda and how their backgrounds, business acumen, and passion for paving the way for future STEM leaders fuels their support and involvement in Women & Hi Tech.

Kind Regards,

Rebecca Bormann
President-Elect, Women & Hi Tech