Goal 2 (Engagement) of project 20/20 is to promote equity and engagement (volunteers, leaders, and participants in CEC professionally and scholarly activities, etc.) by identifying and eliminating barriers that exist.

Stakeholders from across CEC gathered to discuss how to address this goal. Subcommittees were formed to address the four target objectives set by the committee. 

• Subcommittee 1- Identify and Address Barriers to Engagement 
• Subcommittee 2- Increasing Diversity in Leadership
• Subcommittee 3- Increase DEI in Journals (editorial representation, authors, and content)
• Subcommittee 4 - Influence DEI in Funding Agencies

Subcommittees 1 & 2 developed a comprehensive survey which was distributed to CEC members and others who have had recent engagement with CEC to identify barriers to engagement and begin to develop solutions. Developed the proposal, application, and rubrics for CEC’s new BIPOC Travel Awards affording support for up to 30 CEC Members from the BIPOC community, helping to enhance the diversity of conference attendees and encourage the presence of work incorporating DEI principles in our conference programming.

Subcommittee 3 –conducted a virtual workshop with editors of multiple CEC-division journals. The virtual workshop provided an initial conversation about strategies for implementing an equity audit in journals. Drop in sessions for journal editors have also been held to further discuss equity audit process. Conversations with editors of Exceptional Children (Drs. William Therrien and John Lloyd) have helped facilitate their recent open call for manuscripts that address topics of equity, inclusion, and diversity, intentionally aligning with the work of project 20/20. 

Subcommittee 4 -submitted a comprehensive advocacy letter to the National Center for Special Education Research. The letter addressed the need to build upon knowledge gained from virtual instruction as well as emphasized the importance of creating diverse research teams.

The Goal 2 Committee is currently working to:

• Examine the survey data collected from the project 20/20 CEC Experience Survey, plan for follow up focus groups with respondents, and develop recommendations for addressing potential barriers.
• Refine the BIPOC Travel Award Process.
• Host additional workshops to support journal editors in initiating their equity audit process.
• Develop a white paper which will expand upon ideas within the advocacy letter to Special Education Funding Agencies.