Equity and Inclusion on The Carpentries

RFP: Consultancy support for the Open Science Coalition

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Five leading open science organisations – The Carpentries, OLS, rOpenSci, pyOpenSci, and PREreview – are seeking an external consultant or group to facilitate several activities over the second half of 2026. Selected consultants will continue the organisational alignment and collaboration work previously announced in late 2025.

This work has three strands:

Facilitation: co-ordinating between the five groups during the grant-writing period, possibly coordinating the grantwriter and governance facilitator as well.
Governance: Creating ways of working between the five organisations (Pitches by invitation only). This would occur during the grant-writing period and possibly after.
Grantwriting: to lead-author our multi-funder grant pitch. We expect that this grant will be pitched to multiple funders to co-fund, and may involve more than one phase, e.g. discovery phase, pilot phase, and implementation phase, over multiple years.

We would be willing to consider pitches that cover multiple roles at once.

From Surviving to Thriving: A Convening to Reclaim and Sustain Open Science Communities

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Open science has transformed how research is conducted, shared, and reused. Yet the organisations at the heart of this transformation are often left vulnerable, underfunded, and disconnected from one another. To move from simply surviving to truly thriving, five leading open science organisations—The Carpentries, OLS, rOpenSci, pyOpenSci, and PREreview—are convening to chart a collective path forward. We are so grateful to The Navigation Fund for supporting this work, and invite our communities to review the full proposal online.

The Carpentries' Reinforced Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Community,

As a U.S.-based, global non-profit organisation serving hundreds of thousands of practitioners and advocates who emphasise the critical role of software and data in advancing research, we would be remiss not to speak up about the impact of the U.S. government’s Executive Order on DEI Programs and Preferencing. The impact has been felt globally. Unfortunately, we are witnessing a global trend of attacks on science and initiatives that champion inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility. We rarely make public statements, preferring to focus on daily operations that help us achieve our mission. However, the growing impact of the Executive Order has prompted us to reaffirm our position.

A recap of the CZI sponsored Accelerate Precision Health (APH) Carpentries Workshops

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In September 2022, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Foundation (CZIF) announced a partnership with four Historically Black Medical Colleges (HBMCs) based in the United States, aimed to further support the cutting-edge scientific research they are leading to address significant gaps in genomics research, create new tools and methods to prevent and treat disease and accelerate precision health for everyone, particularly Black people and other people of color.

CZIF’s Accelerate Precision Health (APH) program will advance genomics research by investing in genomics programs at each of the HBMCs — Charles Drew University College of Medicine in Los Angeles, California; Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.; Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee; and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Translating Software Carpentry lessons into Ukrainian language: a status update

Fri, 17 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This blog post was orginally published on Dr. Olexandr Konovalov’s website as “Software Carpentry for Ukraine: status update”. Minor modifications in style have been made to the original so that this version is in keeping with The Carpentries blog post conventions.

This is an overview of the current state of the project of translating Software Carpentry lessons into Ukrainian language. It accompanies the slide of my lightning talk at the Collaborations Workshop 2024.

Enhancements to the Toolkit of IDEAS

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Toolkit of IDEAS emerged from recommendations provided by ReadySet, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm that conducted an organisational assessment of The Carpentries in 2020. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Kari L. Jordan, Executive Director of The Carpentries, and the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, this project became a reality. Tara Robertson Consulting Inc. was enlisted in March 2022 to lead this initiative, working closely with the Carpentries Core Team’ Team Leads and the broader community.

Engaging with a Cross-NASA Subcommunity

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In a recent Carpentries Community Session a set of three programs with Carpentries memberships within the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shared a bit about how they currently engage with The Carpentries. The purpose of the session was to explore opportunities to support the activities of these programs through formation of a Carpentries subcommunity. A Carpentries subcommunity is defined as “a subset of our global community that can be local, regional, domain-specific, or a group of community members sharing a common language or interests.” Anyone interested in developing an engaged network of Instructors was invited to attend the session, resulting in 56 community members representing multiple US government agencies, state governments, universities, and non-profits.

The Carpentries retires its X/Twitter accounts and Facebook profile

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Late last year we released a statement in which we stated that we will continue “to monitor changes at Twitter in conjunction with internal discussions about whether our presence on the platform will continue,” and we can now announce that as of today, 20 October 2023, we will no longer be active or engaging on any of our accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The developments at X that we have tracked over the past year have left us with no hope of its compatibility, as it is currently configured, with our core values, and the platform fosters engagements that run counter to our Code of Conduct. It is no longer a safe space for many members of our community, and our continued presence on the platform is not reflective of our organisation’s commitment to “building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that values all individuals and their unique identities.”

Opportunities and Challenges in Localisation: The Carpentries Perspective

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In the realm of open science, the power of collective knowledge is magnified when it’s accessible to all, irrespective of geographical or linguistic boundaries. Localisation, in this context, is not just about translating scientific content, but about adapting research, methodologies, and data to resonate with diverse cultural and regional nuances. This series of blog posts, Opportunities and Challenges in Localisation, will dig into the world of localisation from the vantage point of various open science communities of practice. Representatives from these communities will share their unique efforts in championing localisation, the opportunities they’ve unearthed, the challenges they’ve grappled with, and pathways for you, the reader, to engage and collaborate. Join us in this exploration, as we underscore the importance of localisation in making open science truly inclusive, bridging knowledge gaps, and fostering a global community of collaborative inquiry. If your organisation also has localisation efforts, and would like to share your story on a future blog post in this series, please do so following these formatting and template guidelines and send your contribution to balmarzouq@turing.ac.uk.

The Carpentries Accessibility Statement and Accommodation Form

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We are excited to announce that we have developed an Accessibility Statement for The Carpentries. Our team is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all users, and this statement is an important step towards achieving that goal.

Our Accessibility Statement outlines our commitment to meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards, as well as our ongoing efforts to ensure our lessons, events, and website, are inclusive and user-friendly. We have implemented a number of accessibility features to help achieve this goal, such as:

EIA Roadmap Update: The Strategic Plan is The Plan

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Summary: The Strategic Plan is the plan. Watch this short video of Dr. Kari L. Jordan and Tara Robertson discussing the EIA Roadmap’s alignment with The Carpentries’ Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.

Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EIA) has always been at the forefront of how The Carpentries operates internally, and serves our community. Work on the EIA Roadmap started in 2018, with the final version of the roadmap being published in 2019. Our Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 was released in January 2020. In an ideal world, these two plans might have been released in the reverse order, but EIA was too important for us to wait to have a Strategic Plan in place. EIA is not new for us and we needed to ensure that the important pieces of the roadmap were captured in the Strategic Plan.

We are Hiring an Accessibility Coordinator. Join Our Team.

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Carpentries is hiring!

The Carpentries is searching for a new full-time Accessibility Coordinator to join our global, mission-driven organisation for two years. The Accessibility Coordinator will be integrate accessibility standards and best practices across all areas of The Carpentries organisation. They will work with and serve our volunteer community - comprising 60,000 learners, 3,000 instructors, 97 Trainers, and 98 member organisations from research institutions around the world.

This position is supported with funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Learn more about CZI’s work to advance diversity and inclusion in open source.

Happy New Year from The Carpentries Executive Director, Dr. Kari L. Jordan

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I meditate quite often. Last week I participated in a practice whereby we meditated on various aspects of 2021, like resilience, acknowledging our needs, and caring for ourselves and others. During my time of meditation and reflection, I could not help but think about you – The Carpentries community. I will never truly know exactly what this community has endured over the past 24 months. What I do know is that you have shown up, and continue to show up, contributing to The Carpentries’ mission even when it is hard to do. For that, you have my sincere #CarpentriesGratitude.

Thank You! Values Alignment Task Force

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Over the last year, our use of certain platforms has been a topic of discussion following the release of information that suggests an organisation may not be acting in accordance with or in alignment with The Carpentries Core Values. These discussions sparked conversations around how The Carpentries decide who we align with.

In response to these conversations, The Carpentries Executive Council approved a charter for a Values Alignment Task Force. The objective of the task force was to outline a set of recommendations that would be used to develop a Due Diligence process for how to identify whether an organisation or service is acting in accordance with The Carpentries Core Values.

Announcing Alfred P. Sloan Foundation award to advance The Carpentries Equity and Inclusion goals for training researchers of color.

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

It has been exactly two years since the release of The Carpentries Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Roadmap. Over the last two years we have:

improved the way we operate and engage with communities around the world
developed accessible pathways for community contribution
supported infrastructure for lesson development in non-English languages
improved Membership onboarding to include strategies for equity and inclusion
launched the Community Facilitators program to support community belonging

We have much more to do to support our diverse community, and to live up to our vision of being the leading inclusive community teaching data and coding skills. What we know from experience is that achieving equity takes intentionality and deep collaboration. For that reason, we have pursued grant funding to advance our equity and inclusion goals.

We Stand With Our Community Members of Asian Descent

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

It was not so long ago that our Core Team shared a blog post advocating for empathy, empowerment, and equity, (A Call for Allyship and Solidarity), in support of our Black community members. Here we find ourselves again facing a painful reality: Anti-Asian violence is rising around the world. A collective trauma is being felt across the Asian diaspora, and I, like many other leaders in open science, am outraged and deeply saddened by not only the events that took place in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) last week, but the overwhelming amount of anti-Asian violence that has been on the rise over the past year. Silence is complicity; I will not be silent.

A Call for Allyship and Solidarity

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Philando Castile. Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Tamir Rice. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland. Atatiana Jefferson. Botham Jean.

As we consider these and countless other Black Americans who were victims of senseless acts of violence, hatred, and racism, we are emotionally drained. Their deaths have reminded us that racial amnesia causes those in positions of power to forget the systemic inequalities that built America. Persons of African descent have been disproportionately targeted by law enforcement and others in positions of privilege, as evidenced by racial disparities in America’s criminal justice system. The ripple effect of this injustice has made its way around the globe. Add to that the unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic - We can’t breathe.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Partner to Support The Carpentries

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

We are generating vast amounts of data, but it is not the data itself that is valuable—it is the information and knowledge that can come from this data. However, we are limited in translating this sea of data into discovery and solutions, because we have a limited set of diverse groups of people with the skills, perspective, and access to work effectively with data. We need to bring people to data—rather than just bringing data to compute or compute to data—and empower them to address their questions, reach their potential, and solve issues that are important in science, scholarship, and society.

The Carpentries Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Roadmap

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The Carpentries envision a world where all people have access to data and a true understanding of the software skills they need to address questions that are important to them, bringing diverse perspectives to challenges in science and society. We understand that comprehensive knowledge is not enough, however. Creating an environment where contributors have access to the tools they need, and feel included in the open science/open data community is imperative. This is where equity, inclusion, and accessibility come together.

Lessons Learned from our Call on Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Our first Community Discussion on Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility had such an impact on my work. Between the two calls we had 31 participants. I was so happy to see so many people on the calls, and appreciate everyone for their time, honesty, and perspective. We kicked off the call by reviewing The Carpentries [Code of Conduct]({{ site.code_of_conduct_url }}) and had everyone share something they’re proud of. Then we did a little jargon busting. If we were going to discuss our experiences around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, it was important that we all had a shared understanding of what these terms meant.

Diversity is our Goal. Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility is how we get there.

Thu, 16 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Community Discussion: Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Roadmap

Whether you are new to The Carpentries community or have been part of the community for a long time, we want you to share your experiences, ideas, and perspective around equity, inclusion, and accessibility at the upcoming Community Discussion (21-22 May). Join the discussion at the following dates/times:

Tuesday, 21 May 1500 UTC
Wednesday, 22 May 0100 UTC

Sign up on the Community Discussions Etherpad to attend. Connection details for Zoom (video conferencing) and audio connection details are located on the Etherpad.

Shaping Our Programs through the Lens of Equity.

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

We have officially been operating as The Carpentries for one year now. Can you believe it?

I joined Data Carpentry’s staff as Deputy Director of Assessment in August of 2016. Since that time, and with the help of countless community members, I’ve been able to streamline our workshop surveys, develop and revise our instructor training surveys, expand our mentoring program, and liaise with the Code of Conduct and Instructor Development Committees to revise our Code of Conduct and improve our Community Discussions. Every day I get to do meaningful work and collaborate with a global network of amazing people.

Instructor Access to Workshops

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This post originally appeared on the Data Carpentry website

Software and Data Carpentry share a mission to spread computational and data literacy to the broader research community at a wide range of institutional types across the world. We also share core community values of openness and inclusiveness.

Recently, we learned that some of our host sites have selective criteria that limit physical access to their sites on the basis of nationality. These policies have the effect of excluding some Carpentry instructors from teaching at these sites. We recognize that often these criteria are imposed by the broader security and bureaucratic apparatus at the organization that the host operates within and are beyond the control of our contacts at those sites. Nevertheless, these policies can cause conflict with our mission and core community values.