Dear Friends, 

It is an honor to write this letter to you, a community that is so near and dear to my heart. One that I’ve had the privilege of watching grow over the years. 

I started my climate justice journey in my early years at Biodesign Challenge. Like with many of our students, it was through BDC that I started to think about the impact my individual choices had on the world around me. These days, whenever things start looking extra bleak, I find myself turning back to this community to regain my hope and resilience. 

This year’s Gallery Show is called Cultivating Connection, inspired by the ways in which our community members are (1) reflecting on and reimagining human impact on the environment (2) rethinking our relationships with other species that share this precious planet with us, and ultimately (3) reaching out and cultivating connection with peers globally to tackle the climate crisis together. 

At BDC, connection means inclusion. It means access. It means intersectionality. Climate action is for all of us to take on and embody in our own ways—the more voices that contribute to this conversation, the higher our chances of overcoming the current climate crises that we’re facing. Since its inception in 2015, BDC has worked with over 4,000 students around the world, each a climate activist in their own right. In Year 1, we were solely based in the United States, and over the last nine years, Biodesign Challenge classrooms have expanded to 34 countries in 6 continents! We’ve introduced high schoolers to the program and launched the BDC After-School program to engage underserved students in Title 1 US Schools. And through dedicated efforts, we now see consistent participation from community and state colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 

This year, we also developed the international Biodesign Symposium to amplify voices of Biodesign practitioners, educators, and entrepreneurs who have been making change within their individual communities over the last decade. I believe our global community will continue to recognize and uplift those who are most affected by the climate crisis by extending opportunities to innovate and change our collective future. 

Of course, this meaningful work isn’t possible without all of our collaborators and supporters who, like us, believe in the power of connection. A special thanks to the Simons Foundation for supporting us year after year with registration fee waivers for classrooms in need and of course for the Science Sandbox Prize for Public Engagement, which continues to push students to think about how to engage the general public in science learning and literacy. Thank you to the Siegel Family Endowment, the BASF Foundation, and the Clif Family Foundation for helping us make the BDC After-School program a reality with your support. Special thanks to NY State Council on the Arts and the NYC Cultural Development Fund for helping us better serve our students in New York. And of course, thank you to the NEA for continuing to support us after so many years together. We’re happy to invite back corporate sponsors including Twist Biosciences and Tomtex (our very own alumni!) - thank you for continuing to believe in and support our mission. And last but not least, all of our sister organizations and companies who have supported our programming in kind in myriad ways: grow.bio, Amino Labs, NEW INC, Cambridge University Press, LifeSci NYC - it is a privilege to have you all as peers working alongside us. 

Connection is truly a resource, especially in today’s digital world where everything feels both instant and fleeting. In both times of great joy and great difficulty, cultivating connection can make all the difference. I thank you all for continuing to grow this community with the BDC team here in New York City and all throughout the world. Let’s treat this Summit week as a celebration of all of our hard work and dedication thus far. And once it’s over, we’ll go right back to building our resilience and impact one student, instructor, alumni, and community member at a time. 

With warmth, 
Veena + the BDC Team