Project S:AIL

Project S:AIL in STEM (Servingness: Aspiration, Identity, and Learning) was Ventura College's Title III HSI STEM grant project. In Fall 2024 it ran a professional development series for early-career and adjunct STEM faculty, on equity-informed pedagogy and on navigating tenure inside a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Facilitated by Adrienne Arguijo, Gema Espinoza Sanchez, and Dr. Raeanne Napoleon, the series combined weekly coaching, guided reflection, and collaborative discussion across five sessions, four in person and one asynchronous.

Session 1 (November 1) — The Students. Cultural introductions and affective coaching practices in STEM classrooms. Participants reflected on their own cultural identities, teaching personas, and early-career paths, guided by discussion of discomfort as a catalyst for learning and of "stepping up / stepping back" as a facilitation tool.

Session 2 (November 8) — Pedagogy and Practice I. An asynchronous module on race-conscious pedagogy: Dr. Christopher Emdin on teaching identity and classroom authenticity, Dr. Roni Ellington's AAAS talk on culturally responsive teaching in STEM, and readings from Dr. Gina Ann Garcia's Transforming HSIs for Equity and Justice. The work was journaling and Padlet reflection on the question of who I am as a teacher in this space.

Session 3 (November 15) — Pedagogy and Practice II. This session combined data inquiry with equity-minded storytelling. Counterstories: Transforming the Narrative Through Data Inquiry introduced ways to read institutional data through lived experience rather than deficit models, and the HSI Summit presentation connected that to the college's own master plan goals. The practical exercise was reframing data as community stories, so that the causes identified are institutional rather than student-based.

Session 4 (November 22) — Roundtable. A brunch roundtable combining pedagogical application with career preparation: STEM academic counseling integrated into courses, a syllabus-as-a-tool- for-racial-equity activity using the USC Race & Equity Center review guide, and a roundtable with faculty and deans on CVs, cover letters, teaching demonstrations, and tenure navigation.

Session 5 (December 6) — The Self. The closing workshop returned to syllabus redesign, finishing equity-centered syllabi grounded in inclusive tone and transparent expectations. The discussion on sustaining change treated discomfort, reflection, and collaboration as ongoing work.