LGBTQIA People with Disabilities Meeting in DC

A triangle made up of rainbow colors with the symbol of a person in a wheelchairThis is a new group being introduced targeting people with disabilities (PWD). It seeks to support, educate, empower and create change for PWD. Discussion would include but not limited to:

  • Common intersections between LGBTQIA/ disability.
  • Dating/ relationship perspectives
  • Creating access/ breaking down barriers in public spaces for LGBTQ PWD’s .

The group facilitator will be Actor/ Disability Advocate Andy Arias – queries can be sent to andyarias09 at gmail.com.
Meetings are every second Friday of each month.

Date/Time
Date – 03/10/2017 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location
The DC Center

Around Town: Federal Globe Happy Hour

Federal Globe logoPlease join Federal GLOBE for its monthly Networking Happy Hour on Thursday, December 1st, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Cobalt.

This event offers a great opportunity to network and socialize with other LGBT Federal employees.  Please help us spread the word; tell your colleagues or bring a friend.

Cobalt is conveniently located in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood at the corner of 17th and R Streets, NW.

To connect with Federal GLOBE on Facebook, use thefollowing link to request membership on the Federal GLOBE group page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_144779428928939.

On Campus

Event FlyerWiSE Holiday Event

Come join with fellow WiSE members to ring in the holidays with a presentation by Jennifer Tokar, Chief of the USPTO’s Enterprise Training Division, providing  insights on how to set goals which are inspiring and actionable by discussing what truly motivates and compels people to make meaningful change.  WISE members will receive tips and tools to set powerful intentions that stick and be encouraged to share with each other to increase accountability and learn how to best support one another!

The dialog will be follow by holiday ornament making in which WiSE members can record their goal for the holidays and 2017 to provide a visible reminder of that goal and efforts to achieve it over the coming weeks and months.

Networking and holiday refreshments too!

PTO BIG Holiday Soiree

The Holiday Season is upon us and PTO-BIG will be celebrating in style!!!  On December 16th,  Madison Auditorium South, we request your presence at PTO-BIG’s Holiday Soiree.  We will kick off this exciting evening dining, along with a bit of karaoke, hosted by  our very own Arthur “Maniac” McCloud!!  The evening will  continue  with the sweet sounds of reggae music, featuring the All –Star Carl Malcolm and Positive Vibrations Reggae Band!!!  The band starts at 6:00 pm.  Dining, Meet and Greet as well as  Karaoke starts at 4:30 pm!! It’s going to be epic!!! Get on the list!!! More info to follow!!!! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT!!!

Friends and Family are welcome
MEMBERS $15.00; NON-MEMBERS $20.00
or a small donation will be fine!!!

Mock Interview Sessions

Want to brush up on your interview skills?  Looking for a career change?  Coming this January, PTO-BIG will be offering mock interview sessions with on-site feedback.  Send an email to BIG, if interested!!!!

Interactive Discussion with National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Kristina M. Johnson

Dr. Kristina JohnsonThis Thursday, November 10th, 2016 from 4 to 6 PM at the Madison Auditorium.

Please consider joining NEW, WiSE and FEW for this exciting event on November 10th! Dr. Johnson is a National Hall of Fame inductee, she holds over 100 patents and has had just such an impressive career. She was the Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, the former Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University and also former Under Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy under President Obama. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet her and hear firsthand the challenges, opportunities and experiences she has had.

Around DC: Monthly Federal Globe Happy Hour

Please join Federal GLOBE for its monthly Networking Happy Hour on Thursday, June 2, 2016, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Cobalt.

This event offers a great opportunity to network and socialize with other LGBT Federal employees.  Please help us spread the word; tell your colleagues or bring a friend.

Cobalt is conveniently located in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood at the corner of 17th and R Streets, NW.

Get to Know the USPTO: Networking Event & Happy Hour

Event FlyerThe Leadership & Innovation Network in Commerce (LINC) will host “Get to Know the USPTO,” a Department of Commerce (DOC)-wide networking event, Wednesday, March 2 from 2 – 4 p.m. Participants will start their overview and tour in Madison West Room 207, and a happy hour will follow at Zikrayet at 2600 Eisenhower Avenue sponsored by the Supervisory Patent Examiners and Classifiers Organization (SPECO).

This is a great opportunity for USPTO employees to come and connect with our colleagues from across Commerce to share development opportunities, collaborative problem solving ideas, and best practices. It’s also a great opportunity for you to let others know about your affinity group here at the USPTO.

The LINC “Get to Know” series is designed to introduce DOC’s inner agencies to each other. LINC is a network of like-minded, action-oriented Commerce employees who engage across bureaus, innovate, and lead, to enhance the DOC workplace and contribute to operational excellence. For more information visit LINC contact Amber Ostrup, Laura Kahn, or Maryam Ipakchi.

Connect4Life: Donate Your Used Technology to Homeless LGBT Youth

Photo of a girl using a smart phoneAs the new year begins, we are looking to give more homeless LGBT youth an opportunity to be connected using technology. Early results in D.C. have proven a simple but important fact though – Technology in the hands of these LGBT youth is vital and clearly helps them to be successful as they navigate their day-to-day lives. Whether they use a phone to stay in touch with family and friends, call about employment, medical care or even to search for answers to unknown questions – it matters and is a simple piece of life changing technology for each of those young people. Full Article

What can you do to help? I’m glad you asked!
Donate your old technology! Desktops, Laptops, Cell Phones (Flip or Smart), Servers, Hard Drives — If it computes 1s and 0s, we can probably refurbish, reuse or recycle that device! The best part – YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE! 
Learn more about Connect4Life here.

The E-Communities Project

nsbeThe E-Communities Project, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is seeking STEM graduates with work experience to help Middle School Science teachers in the Prince George’s area build a realistic curriculum.

If you would like more information see the attached flyer, a more detailed Webinar presentation will be held TODAY @ 11AM! The link to RSVP is here: http://goo.gl/forms/4YJweu60ih

 

HBCU Lunch Chat

BrownPPBlunchHistorically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have provided a foundation for achievement and have been a source of immeasurable pride for the African American community for over 150 years.  The achievement and pride have grown to extend beyond the African American community and beyond U.S. borders.

Section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as: “…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation ….”

HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, young and old alike, an opportunity to grow and to hone their skills and talents.  HBCU students and graduates continue to achieve in an array of professions in both the public and private sectors, domestically and internationally.

If you are a student or an alumnus/alumna of an HBCU, this lunch hour is all about you and your school and to acknowledge the countless contributions these institutions and their alumni have made to the USPTO and around the world.  Please bring your lunch, and come celebrate annual HBCU Week (September) and also celebrate the end of the fiscal year.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Time:  1 p.m.
Where:  Jefferson Conference Center – 1st Floor

Feel free to wear your HBCU paraphernalia or colors! All are welcome!

RSVP here with your name and your alma mater or current school.

Become a Volunteer!

Please join the USPTO Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and Volunteer Alexandria for a Volunteer Fair on Thursday, August 27, 2015 from 11:30am – 1:30pm in the Madison Lower Atrium. Volunteering is a great way to enhance your leadership skills, meet new people, gain experience in new fields, and find personal fulfillment.

Participating organizations include:

Community Lodgings, Wright to Read, Alexandria Tutoring Consortium, Higher Achievement, Volunteer Alexandria, Casa Chirilagua, The Urban Alliance, Alexandria Department of Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Activities, Concerned Citizens Network Alexandria, Space of HER Own, Space of HIS Own, The Campagna Center, and RARE.