COMMITTEE UPDATE (FIRST QUARTER): DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
What projects and/or tasks did the committee work on?
The committee worked to restructure itself in response to the changed charter and determine key goals for 2020. A part of this effort involved identifying interested committee members to serve on subcommittees, selecting a new committee co-chair, and narrowing down the projects to focus on for the year.
Describe how the committee’s work connects to AORE’s strategic framework and to the trends and issues happening in the larger outdoor industry.
The majority of the committee's work has revolved around taking stock of what is already in place (either in terms of collective knowledge or resources) and then, organizing these tools and information to be readily available for AORE membership to access and use in their programs and with those they serve. One main goal is to focus on the development of a toolkit. Through this asset review and work on the toolkit, the committee is continuing to expand its
support for AORE members. About half of the committee members are new this year. This, in and of itself, reflects trends in the industry as a whole because almost all of the new volunteers have cited joining the committee to learn DE&I best practices to take back to their programs.Can the committee share a link to one recent article or other resource that will benefit members?
In light of the current global pandemic, the committee has shared two articles for members to check out that will help to illuminate some of the unique issues impacting the DEI space right now.
NY Times (OpEd: Social Distancing is a Privilege)
Health.com (Protests Against Lockdown Reveal That Staying Home Is Often a Racial Privilege)