The Grimmgroup is dedicated to the health, wellness, and success of all members of the WPI community. This includes everything from managing the stressors of research and education with those of everyday life, finding acceptance + support both in others and in ourselves, and accepting and supporting others as well.

Our group celebrates diversity of thought, of experience, and of culture. We welcome all people including those of underrepresented or marginalized groups, and of neurodiverse students. We strive to hold ourselves and others to these values:

• We hold a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying, oppression, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia of any kind. All are welcome in our group as we strive to create an atmosphere of support and positive reinforcement for each other.
• We value everyone’s input as we evolve from nascent scientists and engineers, to the people that are going to leave WPI and make the planet a better place for us all. We will question, discuss, and challenge each other only in a mutually supportive way and make each other the best possible citizen-scientists that we can be.
• We will attack fundamental, nanoscopic challenges at the atom and bond level to chip away at the big-picture problems facing the planet. Among great challenges in clean energy, clean water, heath security, food security, and sustainable living, we help to address several of these problems. These big-picture problems are not going to be solved by one single person, or by someone’s phone app, but rather by diverse, problem-solving teams in which everyone is thinking a little bit differently. Diversity of thought should flow from diversity of points of view, which may in turn flow from diversity of experience and of culture to attack these big-picture problems. We further challenge each other to leave WPI and continue this work to make the planet a better place.
• We will support each other as we build our professional network both internal to WPI, externally at conferences, and for the remainder of our post-WPI lives.
• We will celebrate failure as a necessary step in the journey towards deeper understanding both of our science and of ourselves. We will support each other though our failures and help each other with how to succeed the next time.
• We recognize that mental health is a critical aspect of all of our lives. We will work hard at what we do, and sometimes we will struggle to find the right balance. However, we also strive to recognize in ourselves and each other the warning signs when challenges and failures seem insurmountable, and we will find the right way to provide the support that each of us needs.

 

Many resources for mental health and wellness exist at WPI.  Below are a few links.  It’s okay to ask for help, and don’t hesitate to approach Grimm with questions or to chat.

• Active Minds @ WPI is a Facebook group dedicated to the health and well being of WPI students
• WPI’s official Student Development and Counseling Center maintains resources for emergent needs, long-term emotional health support and

 

Resources for those identifying as LGBTQIAP+ at WPI, in Worcester and Beyond:

• WPI’s official LGBTQIAP+ page maintains updated lists of resources for all members of the WPI community.
• WPI Alliance provides a necessary voice and community for the students at WPI of all orientations and gender identities.
• OASIS Multicultural Center at OASIS House provides a centralized location for WPI students to meet and study in a warm, relaxing environment, thereby giving students a place to build a community.  OASIS House at 20 Schussler Road is an officially designated Safe Space at WPI.
• Out to Innovate™ — formerly the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) — empowers LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM by providing education, advocacy, professional development, networking, and peer support and educates all communities regarding scientific, technological, and medical concerns of LGBTQ+ people.

 

Resources for those identifying as underrepresented minorities, People of Color or those looking to be stronger allies:

• The WPI Black Student Union maintains a Facebook group
• Academics for Black Survival and Wellness is a personal and professional development initiative for Non-Black academics to honor the toll of racial trauma on Black people, resist anti-Blackness and white supremacy, and facilitate accountability and collective action. A4BL also is a space for healing and wellness for Black people.

 

If you have any questions about any of these or if you feel the need to talk, don’t hesitate to reach out to Grimm right away!