Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Friends of Outdoor School’s DIversity, Equity & Inclusion statement

DRAFT

We recognize that the pursuit of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will never be complete, therefore this statement will stay as a draft to reflect our continued evolution in our internal and organizational work.  

Friends of Outdoor School envisions a day when Outdoor School is a place where every child can belong. Friends of Outdoor School’s purpose is to connect, support, and advocate for all of Oregon’s diverse students to learn at inclusive and accessible Outdoor School programs that contribute to educational development, inspire youth, promote personal growth, and embrace justice. We accomplish our mission through network-building, community engagement, and advocacy. With a flexible, responsive, nimble, and adaptable approach, we work to build the capacity of the statewide Outdoor School system to ensure that Outdoor School provides equitable and inclusive learning experiences for each and every Oregon student. 

We approach our work through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens, and we seek to create relationships with others that align with this priority while leveraging existing relationships to advance equity and justice at Outdoor School. 

The systems we work within most--education, philanthropy, and advocacy--are inherently racist and inequitable. These systems have created barriers that marginalize and harm many members of our communities and keep people from fully participating in Outdoor School. We acknowledge that we live and work on stolen Indigenous lands. In our day-to-day practices, we seek to be good stewards of the land we inhabit while acknowledging and honoring the ongoing relationships Indigenous people and communities have with the land. We endeavor to make decisions that do not cause harm to others or the environment. We are committed to examining our role in these systems and working to promote more equitable, diverse, and inclusive access to resources, programming, and fully accessible and welcoming learning spaces. 

Oregon struggles with a legacy of exclusion, forcible removal of Indigenous people from their homelands, and a male-dominated, hetero-normative, and white-centric view of nature and how to enjoy it. Historically marginalized communities (BIPOC, nonbinary folks, people with physical and mental disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, and people who may typically be left out for additional reasons) have been made to feel unwelcome and unsafe in parks, outdoor spaces, and science, technology, engineering, and math education and careers. 

At its best, Outdoor School transforms classroom education by creating a model of inclusion and student engagement. Educational programming that includes diverse perspectives and voices is a more complete experience for youth. This is especially important when acknowledging the traditional tribal territories upon which all programming takes place. Professional development, spearheaded by Indigenous scholars, is helping Outdoor School providers incorporate Indigenous studies concepts into their curriculum and instruction. Our ongoing work is to ensure that Outdoor School is at its best, a tool for justice as well as an educational experience.

Outdoor School and students thrive in diverse and vibrant communities. Friends of Outdoor School honors all the dimensions of diversity that people experience, including (but not limited to):

Friends of Outdoor School recognizes that working toward equity, diversity, and inclusion requires reflection, patience, and persistence. As we review our own programs, policies, and processes, we commit to prioritizing and deepening relationships with partners and vendors who share our commitment to equity, and to review and develop our work with an equity lens. We commit to building internal capacity for this through education, dialogue, and building community across differences. We strive to do this work with curiosity, humility, and empathy. 

Our code of ethics: 

• Respect for the communities we work with

• Integrity in our actions

• Responsibility for our decisions and corresponding consequences.

We are committed to:

• Acting with honesty, truth, and integrity

• Acknowledging all the dimensions of diversity that people experience

• Recognizing and respecting the differences among individuals

• Actively avoiding conflicts of interest and conflicts of loyalty

• Appropriately, thoughtfully, and carefully handling actual or apparent conflicts of interest

• Treating others with dignity and respect

• Providing employees and volunteers with a work environment that safeguards their rights and welfare

• Acting within the spirit and letter of the law while advocating for changes to laws that are needed to advance justice

• Being transparent, responsible, and accountable

• Respecting the privacy of our donors, volunteers, advocates, partners, board, vendors, and staff

• Being truthful in our solicitations and financial management 

• Taking action when issues arise that conflict with our code of ethics and values

• Reducing socio-economic barriers to participation in our work

• Entering conversations in the good faith that we are all working toward the same goal: excellent Outdoor School experiences for Oregon students

• Creating safe and nurturing environments for people to come together to advocate for and about ODS

• Seeking resolution to the mistakes we will inevitably make

• Continued learning to support our evolution in our understanding and appreciation of others and their perspectives. 

We value:

• Justice, equity, access, and inclusion

• Rights and responsibilities of each individual

• Collaboration

• Partnership 

• Listening to learn

• Each person’s contributions

• Transparency

Friends of Outdoor School’s Anti-discrimination policy:

Friends of Outdoor School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, faith, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, social class, economic class, citizenship, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include (but are not limited to): hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.  We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Friends of Outdoor School is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.