Inclusivity
Dear Families of NSTEAM,
We hope this message finds you well. We want to take a moment to reflect on our journey as a group, particularly with regard to some of the recent challenges we have faced around language and communication. As a community committed to positive change, it’s important that we acknowledge where we’ve been, learn from those experiences, and ensure that we are moving forward with a shared understanding of how to foster a respectful environment for all.
During this week and as a result of multiple board member’s statements and actions we have lost valued members of our co-op and resulted in the resignation of a board member. We wish all of our families to feel supported, loved and included regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, political affiliation, disability, gender, lifestyle, culture or any other characteristic that makes them unique. In compilation and review, our board would like to share several points and address our action plan:
- Board Roles and Responsibilities: In response to a need for our non-profit growth and development, a board was created of volunteer caregivers to accommodate the needs of the group. As we are navigating through the infancy stages of a non-profit, we use our valuable background and expertise to anticipate and mitigate potential conflict and resolution as quickly and thoughtfully as possible. We continue to collectively develop strategies to best support our members and families.
- Enhancing Accountability: As board members, we hold our own selves accountable for the inclusion and respect of all of our members and families. In response to the need, we will be implementing a more stringent Code of Conduct for our board members to ensure we, as representatives, create a welcoming environment of acceptance for all. This has given us the opportunity to reflect on the importance and nuances of these roles, as well as our capacity to serve the group better. Through the fostering of mutual respect and understanding we are able to create a welcoming and cooperative community with the express goal of educating our children together.
- Promoting Inclusion and Equality: Paramount to the success of the group, we desire continuous education about the power of words and the ways in which language can either include or exclude. The board is investigating personal inclusion training for non-profits, as well as any lesson plans and suggestions from our greater community and families.
- Fostering Open Communication: We are researching ways in which we can efficiently create an improvement of the lines of communication between families and leadership. We are looking into ideas where we can have direct feedback shared to include anonymity, if preferred.
- Coordinating Outgoing Communication: All outgoing board communication will be submitted for board member review prior to posting to the overall group in order to have a cohesive and understandable message approved by all board members.
Together, we can turn our past challenges into an opportunity to strengthen our commitment of respect and kindness within our co-op. By reflecting on these issues, we ensure that our future is one where everyone feels welcomed and valued, no matter their background or identity.
We strive for a community in which our children can learn and grow together, as one collective of many different parts. We are all families doing life outside the traditional, and THAT is the beauty of who we are. Thank you all for making this incredible group possible.
Warm regards,
NSTEAM Board of Directors