About Include
This website was created as part of the Include program, a neurodiversity initiative
funded by a generous $2M grant from the National Science Foundation.
The Include team is working within the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering and with partners across the UConn campus to create an ecosystem that
supports and empowers a wide range of learners and cultivates the potential of neurodiverse
students to contribute to innovations in engineering.
Include aims to make systemic changes that range across the entire span of an
engineering student's undergraduate experience.
We envision a radically inclusive Civil and Environmental Engineering Department that:
- uses a strength-based approach to personalize the learning experience and improve learning outcomes for all students
- creates community within the university to foster inclusive academic practices
- supports our students' diverse learning and thinking styles
- cultivates the potential of neurodiverse students to contribute to engineering breakthroughs
- contributes to the development of a more diverse engineering workforce
Efforts will target the following areas:
- recruitment of neurodivergent students to engineering
- transition to college
- community building
- incorporation of inclusive teaching practices
- advising and mentoring
- career advising
- employer outreach
Components of the Include program were launched in Fall 2020! Our current efforts are focused on promoting neuroinclusive teaching practices in engineering courses.
Learn more about the Include story:
"One message that I would like to get to young people out there is that it's important to advocate for yourself. It's important to believe in your own abilities and your own strengths and to find your place in the world. Engineering and STEM may not always feel welcoming, but we believe that all neurodiverse people have not just a place in engineering and STEM, but that they are critical for the future of it. So, we'd really like for young people to see themselves as future creators and join our ranks."
- Dr. Marisa Chrysochoou
Acknowledgements: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under IUSE/PFE:RED Grant No. 1920761. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
