Using the spaces in the Carter Center

When arriving at the Carter Center, please enter through the Ivan Allen Pavilion Main Entrance. As you enter the Carter Center’s parking lots, this entrance is furthest to the right. There is a drop off circle right in front of this entrance. Directions and a map can be found here: https://www.cartercenter.org/about/directions.html

Breakfast and lunch will be served in the Ivan Allen Foyer on both days (Monday = smaller breakfast with a buffet lunch; Tuesday = buffet breakfast with a box lunch). Catering is aware of any dietary needs you shared when registering. Food can be eaten in the Foyer or taken into the Cecil B. Day Chapel, but please do clean up after your meal.

The Summit's meetings will start in the Chapel. During the day on Monday we will also be using seating areas associated with rooms called the “Commons” and “Rotunda.” When moving through and meeting in those spaces, please be aware that these are common spaces for Carter Center staff. You can learn more about that work here: https://www.cartercenter.org/about/index.html

Since we will be using working areas of the Center, you should keep your Summit nametag on at all times. The Center’s wifi information will be provided on your name tag.

An unstaffed, unlocked coat room is available for daytime storage, but we cannot be responsible for valuables.

What to bring

Please wear whatever makes you feel comfortable when meeting other people.  

There won't be a professional photographer, but we are likely to use photos from the Summit in future promotional materials. Please tell one of the staff listed below if you do not want your photo used.

Wifi is available in most of our meeting spaces, but a laptop isn't needed to participate in the Summit.

There will not be printed programs available. Either print the schedule below ahead of time, or use a device to follow along.

You don't need to bring EventBrite tickets for any events.

COVID precautions

As of this writing, masks are optional, and we are all asked to be respectful about each others’ choices on masking.

As with any gathering involving many travellers, it is recommended to take a COVID test before participating in the Summit. However, we aren’t able to require this step, so it is on the honor system.

If you test positive for COVID during or shortly after the Summit, please isolate and contact Summit staff (see below) so that we can take any necessary additional steps.

What to do if you don't know what to do

In case of emergency, call 911.

If you encounter an issue and need help, please contact or look for either:

• Ben Wiehe: (617) 806-6369, wiehe@mit.edu
• Alethia Campbell: (617) 258-5024, aletheac@mit.edu

Sunday, June 4

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6:30 - 8:30 PM | Rina | 699 Ponce De Leon Ave | Dinner

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Monday, June 5

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8:00 - 9:00 AM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Light breakfast

9:00 - 10:15 AM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 1: Looking back to look ahead - Thank you, Meisa Salaita, for sharing your experiences of growing SCIENCE ATL, and your strong support of the SFA community!

10:30 - 12:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 2: Stop, collaborate, and listen - Daniel Aguirre, we are incredibly grateful for your expertise and guidance in leading us through a mindful leadership and listening activity that challenged us to uncover and elevate each community member and express individual needs.

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12:00 - 1:00 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Lunch buffet

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1:00 - 1:15 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Move to Rotunda/Commons and join a discussion group

1:15 - 2:00 PM | Carter Center | Rotunda/Commons | Session 3: How our shared space might support you and others - A big shoutout to Elizabeth Volger, Kari Wouk, Sam Connors, and Samantha Mulrooney for leading and facilitating Session 3 group conversations! You all jumped in without hesitations and captured community thoughts with integrity. Thank you!

2:15 - 3:30 PM | Carter Center | Rotunda/Commons | Session 4: On belonging - Daniel, thank you again for organizing this session, setting up facilitators with the resources desired to move forward with ease, and supporting facilitators for the panel talk during Session 6. Dana Buskovitz, Diana Plasker, Katherine Hagman, and Monique Ealey thank you for leading and facilitating Session 4 group conversations!

3:45 - 4:45 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 5: Science Events Showcase - Thank you to all the folks who shared about their unique Science Event! Brooke Ciardelli, it was terrific to learn about you creating a festival for the community to surprise those coming and create experiences that provide a communal sense of wonderment and awe. Elliot Rae Cormier and Parker Chapple seeing how you all engage, delight, surprise, and entertain the community and bring so much joy; we are sure many will start adding Banana volunteers, too! Erik MacIntosh learning about The Science for All Summit is inspiring, especially having time to gather the community to convene for challenging conversations that advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) in STEM.

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6:30 - 9:30 PM | The Atrium @ Ponce City Market | Dinner

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Tuesday, June 6

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8:30 - 9:30 AM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Breakfast buffet

9:30 - 10:45 AM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 6: Creating an inclusive invitation - Daniel, Dana, Diana, Katherine, and Monique, you all powerfully delivered feedback with care and highlighted the power of connection in the science events community. Thank you for working so hard to create a space to thoughtfully share conversations from Session 4!

11:00 - 12:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 7: Writing forward from the past

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12:00 - 1:00 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Box Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 8: Sustaining our work together

2:30 - 3:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel | Session 9: Reflecting on our process, and what's next

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Opening Reception

6:30-8:30 PM | Rina | 699 Ponce De Leon Ave | Dinner

Catch up with everyone at Rina, a short walk from Hotel Clermont. Stop by when you can, dinner is provided.

Good morning!

8:00 - 9:00 AM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Light breakfast

What to do: When arriving at the Carter Center, please enter through the Ivan Allen Pavilion Main entrance. As you enter the Carter Center's parking lots, this entrance is furthest to the right. A light breakfast, hot coffee, cold juice, and new friends will be waiting for you. If you arrive after 9:00, please take your nametag and join us in the Chapel. Thank you for cleaning up after your meal.

Session 1: Looking back to look ahead

9:00 - 10:15 AM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

Our community of practice has done some amazing things over the past 15 years. But many of the people that remember that history have moved on since the last big Summit in 2019. Two people that were at the first of our conferences in 2011 reflect on what they've seen, and the moment we find ourselves in now.

What to do: Make yourself comfortable in the Chapel.

Session 2: Stop, collaborate, and listen

10:30 - 12:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

In this session we will take time to help each ourselves and each other through reflective practice. Working in small groups, everyone will have the chance to introduce themselves, and to name some challenges they are navigating. With a bit of guidance and in partnership with each other, we'll then take on some collective problem solving.

What to do: Gather in the Chapel, and instructions will be provided.

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Lunch!

12:00 - 1:00 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Lunch buffet

What to do: Lunch will be served in the Foyer. Food can be eaten in the Foyer or taken into the Cecil B. Day Chapel, but please do clean up after your meal.

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Move to Carter Center Commons

1:00 - 1:15 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer

What to do: Please gather in the Foyer area so that we can move through the Carter Center to areas known as the Rotunda and Commons. When moving through and meeting in those spaces, please be aware that these are common spaces for Carter Center staff. Once in the Commons, choose one of four clusters of seats for small group discussion.

Session 3: How a shared space might support you (and others)

1:15 - 2:00 PM | Carter Center | Rotunda/Commons

In Session 2 we drew out the challenges that individuals are working through and brainstormed supports that might help. In this session we'll elicit the kind of supports that people would like to expect from our shared space. What we hear in this session will serve as a guide as we consider what kinds of activities and services are top priorities for our community of practice over the next year.

What to do: Join one of four small group conversations and follow the lead of the designated facilitator and note-taker.

Session 4: On belonging

2:15 - 3:30 PM | Carter Center | Rotunda/Commons

Help us all get to the heart of what brings us together, and provide guidance about how we might do that better. We have several questions to stimulate discussion:

1. What made you feel you should come to this meeting? What are the unique things you expected to share in common with other attendees?
2. Who else would you like to see here?
3. What about this space makes you feel either particularly welcome or uncertain about belonging?
4. Where do you see potential additional barriers for others?
5. What steps might we take based on what is discussed here?

What we hear in this session will directly inform Session 6 on Tuesday morning.

What to do: Choose a different group (or at least a different chair) than the previous session, and follow the lead of the designated facilitator and note-taker.

Session 5: Science Events Showcase

3:45-5:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

Enjoy presentations from a event and festival organizers about something that has them fired up, either from the past year or in planning for next year.

What to do: Make yourself comfortable in the Chapel.

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Dinner!

6:30-9:30 PM | The Atrium @ Ponce City Market | Dinner

What to do: Make your way to the Food Hall level of the Ponce City Market, which features many local Atlanta vendors. We’ll have a variety of food stations to choose from throughout the evening, so please arrive at whatever time is comfortable for you (of course, you know what they say about the early bird).

It is a 5-minute walk from Hotel Clermont along Ponce De Leon Avenue to the Food Hall entrance to the Market that brings you to The Atrium. Ride shares are likely to drop you off at another entrance: simply take elevators to the Food Hall level. Driving and parking instructions can be found here.

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Welcome back!

8:30-9:30 AM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer | Breakfast buffet

What to do: Grab your nametag and come back to the Carter Center. Old friends and a robust breakfast buffet will be waiting for you. Thank you for cleaning up after your meal.

If you have luggage, an unstaffed, unlocked coat room is available for daytime storage. We cannot be responsible for valuables

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Session 6: Creating an inclusive invitation

9:30-10:45 AM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

As we look forward to building a community of practice, how do we best create an inclusive invitation to work together? The facilitators from yesterday's "On belonging" session will get us started by sharing out themes and important points from those conversations. We'll then take the time needed to talk over suggested changes or actions to take.

What to do: Make yourself comfortable in the Chapel.

Session 7: Using past processes for inspiration

11:00 - 12:00 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

Examples from the Science Festival Alliance and past Summits will serve as inspiration for considering what and who this community of practice wants to be going forward.

What to do: This session relies on your own initiative. This work can be done individually, in small groups, or at one of four stations. First, choose on of four resources to start with:

A: 2013 Science Festival Alliance member toolkit. This can be found here, or printed versions are at breakout group A

B: Past Science Events Summit programs. These can be found here, or printed versions are at breakout group B

C: Past Science Festival Alliance annual reports. These can be found here, or printed versions are at breakout group C

D: 2015 Science Live report. This can be found here, with a limited number of printed versions at breakout group D

Spend enough time reviewing a resource to get inspired. You may be inspired to make a resource better, trash it and start over, or do something else entirely. Please share as much as you can by either going to the corresponding breakout group, or writing up your thoughts privately and sending them in an email to connect@sciencefestvals.org

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Lunch!

12:00 - 1:00 PM | Carter Center | Ivan Allen Foyer

What to do: Lunch will be served in the Foyer. Food can be eaten in the Foyer or taken into the Cecil B. Day Chapel, but please do clean up after your meal. 

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Session 8: Sustaining our work together

1:00 - 2:30 PM | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

What are we ready to commit to doign together over the next year? How are we going to do it? Themes to choose from will be posted here on the day of. If you would like to suggest or lead a theme please contact Ben Wiehe or Alethea Campbell by the morning of June 6.

What to do: Instructions and guidance will be provided on site.

Session 9: Reflecting on our process, and what's next

2:30 - 3:00 PM 9| | Carter Center | Cecil B. Day Chapel

We'll gather together for a final consideration of the processes we've followed so far as we open up the question of what we want to do together, and how we should do it.

What to do: Make yourself comfortable in the Chapel.