Accessing your Google Group

How do I join my Google Group?

Check the inbox of the Gmail you submitted as part of your acceptance materials to find an invite email titled "Invitation to Join ALP Cohort 1 Group". If it is not there, check spam.
If you can see the invite email but you are not able to accept it, this means that your browser is not signed into the correct email account. Please ensure you are logged into the email account associated with your Google Group on your browser & try again.

How do I access my Google Group?

Click directly on the link from your invite email or go to https://groups.google.com to access your Group.

How do I post or send replies in my Google Group?

If you are on computer, skip to step 2. If you are on tablet or mobile, you will first need to switch to the desktop version of the Google site. To request the desktop site:

On Apple/Safari: Locate and click on the "Aa" icon in the browser browser bar, and then select "Request Desktop Site" from menu options
On Android/Chrome: Locate and click on the "..." icon at the bottom of the webpage, and then select "Request Desktop Site" from menu options

To make a new post or reply to an existing post:

- New Post: Locate and click on "New Conversation" in top left corner
- Reply to Post: Click on any existing post. Press "Reply all" for a public reply or "Reply to author" for a private reply

I am a Pod Host. How do I lock a post on Google Groups to once I have hit 10 participants?

Click on the conversation you want to lock
Locate the lock icon at the top (next to the trash/delete icon)
Click the lock icon
Follow same steps to unlock the post.

Using Google Groups to Organize into Pods

Review of Pod formation process

In Week 1, one of your first tasks is to assemble into a ~10 person Pod with peers in your Aspire Google Group. Here is a review of the steps to do so:

Decide whether you will host a new Pod or join an existing Pod (if you would like to host a Pod, please note that the Week 1 instructions require you to decide which technology platform you would like to use for group chats & virtual group meetings).
Use your Aspire Google Group to send messages to your peers and coordinate with each other which Pod you will host or join.
Create or join a private text channel with your Pod using the technology decided by the Pod host

Some examples of technology platforms for text chat are Google Spaces, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, and Slack. Some examples of technology platforms for group video calls are Google Meet, Zoom, and Discord.

It doesn't matter which technology you use -- all that matters is that everyone comfortable with the chosen platform(s)!

Our Recommendation
Since all students must submit a personal Google email account in order to participate in the program & receive a Group assignment, Aspire recommends using free Google services which come with that email in order to complete Module assignments. These are Google Spaces and Google Meet. The FAQ sections below have basic details about how to use these tools, and Google Groups.

Because Pods are self-driven, Aspire will not be able to provide any technology support beyond what is provided below. However, if you need additional help, Google has a lot of fantastic support documentation & FAQs which can be found online by searching for your questions directly.

Note that if you are using a Google account which has been provided by a school or institution, it is possible that the administrator has disabled Google Spaces. If your Google account is affected by this issue and your Pod has decided to use Google Spaces, you should tell your Pod and ask if they can choose a different text chat platform; if they cannot, you will have to join a different Pod.

Recommended Technology: Google Spaces & Google Meet FAQs

Pod Text Chat Channel: Google Spaces

How do I create a Google Space as a Pod Host?

On computer:
- If you have multiple Google emails, please make sure you are logged-in to the correct account associated with your Aspire Google Group.
- Go to https://chat.google.com or click on the Google Chat icon from your email homepage
- Navigate to the "Spaces" section on the lefthand side
- Click on the "+" button to create a new Space
- Name your Space
- Enter the emails of the participants you are inviting the Space
- Click "Create"
- If you would like to add or remove additional members after you have created the Space:
  - Open the Space
  - Click on the title of the Space to open a drop-down menu.
  - Select "Manage Members"
  - To add a member: press the "+ Add" button that is next to the "Search members" bar
  - To remove a member: press the three vertical dots next to someone's name to remove them. If this removal is due to abusive behavior, please email safety@aspireleaders.org or use the anonymous form in the "Safety" page of this website.
On tablet or mobile:
- Download the Google Chat app
- If you have multiple Google emails, please make sure you log-in to the correct account associated with your Aspire Google Group.
- Click on the people icon on the bottom of the page
- Select the "+ New space" button
- Name the Space & press "Next"
- Enter the emails of the participants you are inviting the Space & you're done!
- If you would like to add or remove additional members after you have created the Space:
  - Open the Space
  - Click on the title of the Space to open a new menu
  - Select "Manage Members"
  - To add a member: press the person icon at the bottom of the page
  - To remove a member: press the three dots next to someone's name to remove them. If this removal is due to abusive behavior , please email safety@aspireleaders.org or use the anonymous form in the "Safety" page of this website.
If one of your participants is having trouble accessing the Space you created, you can click on the title of the Space to open the drop-down menu, press "Copy link to this space," & send it to them directly. If you need to remove them from the Space for any reason, they will not be able to return to the Space even with that link.

How do I join a Google Space as a Pod Participant?

On computer:
- You should receive an email called "[Name of Space] space - Invitation to join." Check your spam if you do not see in your inbox. Click on that link which will open the Space!
  - If you have multiple Google emails, please make sure you are logged-in to the correct account associated with your Aspire Google Group in your browser, otherwise the link will not work.
- If you do not see an invitation email link in your inbox or spam, you can also access your Space by doing the following:
  - Type in chat.google.com or click on the Google Chat icon from your email homepage
  - You will see three buttons on the Chat homepage called "Start a chat," "Browse Spaces," and "Explore Apps." Click on the middle button called "Browse Spaces."
  - Next to the "Search Spaces" bar, there is a drop down menu containing 3 options: All Spaces, Spaces I have joined, Spaces I haven't joined. Please select "Spaces I haven't joined."
  - The name of the Space you have been invited to should appear. Select the option to "Join" on the right of the Space's name.
On tablet or mobile:
- Download the Google Chat app
- You should have received an email called "[Name of Space] space - Invitation to join." Check your spam if you do not see in your inbox. Click on the invite link which will open the space!
  - If you have multiple Google emails, please make sure you are logged-in to the correct account associated with your Aspire Google Group in your Chat app, otherwise the invite link will not work.
- If you do not see an invitation email link in your inbox or spam, you can also access your Space by doing the following:
  - Open the Google Chat app
  - Click on the people icon on the bottom of the page
  - Select the "+ New space" button
  - Select "Browse spaces" option
  - The name of the Space you have been invited to should appear. Select the option to "Join" on the right of the Space's name.

Pod Roundtable Discussion Meeting Invite: Google Calendar & Google Meet

How do I create and host a video call meeting using Google Meet as a Pod Host?

Go to https://meet.google.com
There are 2 options of creating a video call meeting:

Click on "New Meeting" > "Create a meeting for later". Copy & save the meeting URL link, and send the link to your other meeting participants using your Pod text channel

- - When you ready to hold the video call meeting at the scheduled time you have decided on with your Pod, simply go to the meeting link URL.

Click on "New Meeting" > "Schedule in Google Calendar". This will prompt you to create a Google Calendar event with a Google Meet meeting link automatically generated inside the Google Calendar event:

Add a title for the Google Calendar event
Under the "Guests" section on the right side, enter the Gmail addresses of all of your Pod members
When finished, click on "Save". A window will pop up with the question, "Would you like to send invitation emails to Google Calendar guests?" Click "Send".
- Your Pod members will receive an email to the Google Calendar event containing the Google Meet meeting URL link, and the date and time of the scheduled meeting.
You can also copy the Google Meet meeting URL link from inside the Google Calendar event, and send the link to your Pod members through your Pod text channel.

How do I join a video call meeting using Google Meet as a Pod Participant?

To join a specific Google Meet video call meeting, you will need a meeting URL link. If you do not have one, ask your meeting host to send you a meeting link.
When the video call meeting is scheduled to take place, simply go to the meeting link URL.
If your Pod Host schedules a meeting using Google Calendar, you may also receive an email invite which contains the meeting link URL.
Use your text chat channel to communicate with your Pod Host and Pod participants to make sure you have the correct meeting link URL, and the correct meeting time, since Aspire program participants come from timezones all around the world!

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The Aspire Leaders Program is an innovative experience where all curriculum materials & student engagement opportunities are delivered entirely digitally. To participate, you will need to have this:

Internet connectivity: either WiFi or data

Device: mobile phone, tablet, or computer

Please click on the drop-down menus below for additional details regarding required & recommended technology access to successfully complete Module 1.

Accessing your Google Group

Using Google Groups to Organize into Pods

Recommended Technology: Google Spaces & Google Meet FAQs

The Aspire Leaders Program is an innovative experience where all curriculum materials & student engagement opportunities are delivered entirely digitally.

To participate, you will need to have this: