At Access, students are experts in their own lives.

We prioritize student voices, carrying out our work with students rather than for them. We do not assume students’ needs, but instead listen to feedback from students to guide and improve our work.

At Access, we are committed to advancing equity and inclusion.

We believe that being aware of structural oppressions and inequities, valuing the voices of our members from marginalized groups, and considering how we can use our privileges for good are essential to making change in STEM.

At Access, we share power.

Wherever possible, we strive for a leadership structure where all members contribute equally and have the opportunity to lead. We commit to consensus-building and collaborative decision-making in all aspects of our work.

At Access, we share resources.

Facilitating collaboration among member sites is an essential function/purpose of our network. We support each other in creating the best programs, groups, and experiences for our members by developing, adapting, and distributing materials across the network.

At Access, we care for each other.

Though we’re all devoted to our work at Access, we also understand that work is only one part of all of our lives. We are flexible and adaptive, respecting each other’s limits and other commitments. We also strive to have fun, help each other flourish, and embrace our members’ unique interests and talents.

At Access, we individually and collectively aim for improvement.

We embrace criticism from members and outside evaluators, and make regular self-reflection and self-education a standard practice. We understand that, regardless of our position or experience, we always have more to learn.