Press Release: Announcing the First Annual Convening of the ACCESS+ Initiative

This document is a press release announcing the first annual convening of the ACCESS+ Initiative on September 9–10, 2021. It reports that the inaugural cohort of STEM professional societies gathered to assess strengths and areas for development, create DEI action plans using Force Field Analysis, and launch a Community of Practice to share evidence-based strategies, peer support, and professional development for DEI change. The release lists the five participating societies, outlines their areas of focus, and highlights ACCESS+ resources such as the Equity Environmental Scanning Tool (EEST), the Inclusive Professional Framework for Societies, DEI mini-grants, and access to NSF ADVANCE best practices. It also reiterates ACCESS+’s mission to accelerate systemic culture change in STEM professional societies to advance gender diversity, equity, and inclusion.