Experience Report - The Power of Peer Networks: Building Community, Confidence, and Capacity

In this interactive session, we will explore strategies to create effective networks of support for faculty and institutional leaders. A description of our program, Advancing STEM Careers by Empowering Network Development, will be shared as a model that provides impactful approaches that build community and confidence and lead to career advancement. Participants report that peer networks provide a sense of inclusion and empowerment, which fosters resilience in the face of expected and unexpected challenges. Peer support not only benefits the individual but also promotes the collective advancement of groups, which leads to institutional transformation.