From Awareness to Action: How We Tackle the Topic of DEIB

June 5, 2023
10:44 am
// Education

The concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) have become increasingly important in today’s society. As we continue to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive world, it’s crucial that we understand each concept and that our company establishes a process to promote them both within the workplace and in the community at large. Let’s dive deep into DEIB.

What is DEIB?

The four concepts that make up DEIB go hand-in-hand, together promoting a more equitable and inclusive society.

Diversity: the variety of human differences, including race, gender, age, physical ability, ethnicity, and more.
Equity: the act of treating everyone fairly and providing equal opportunities, regardless of differences.
Inclusion: creating a warm, welcoming, respectful environment where all feel valued and supported despite their differences.
Belonging: feeling like you are valued, supported, accepted, and respected for who you are

Elevo’s DEIB Efforts

Elevo’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion begins with our co-founders, Nick Telford and Chris Murphy. It is part of everything we do as an organization at all levels. We aim to create a diverse and inclusive work environment where staff feel safe to bring their authentic selves to work, and it is crucial to us that every single team member feels welcome, included, accepted, and heard. We have started the work internally, allowing us to make an impact on the diverse communities we work with externally throughout California. Just as we teach our students, we approach DEIB with a growth mindset and are committed to our continued learning and improvement in the DEIB space.

So, how does Elevo foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our work environment and the community at large? Here is a snapshot of our continuing efforts.

Attending Relevant Community Events

Our team is always on the lookout for events to attend that help us open doors for those who need it most. We recently took part in ACSA’s Lead with Pride Summit, an event dedicated to equipping educators and administrators with what they need to create safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ students and staff. We are grateful for opportunities like this to network within the communities we serve.

Building Out a DEIB Team

We are also in the process of building a team to oversee our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. As of this post, we have a dedicated team member whose role is primarily focused on our partnerships with advisors, collecting data and measuring how the diversity of our full-time staff has grown, and creating opportunities for our staff to broaden their DEIB horizons.

Partnering with Advisors

Since June of 2022, we have worked alongside expert Dr. Wendy Borlabi to help our team members engage with different topics under the DEIB umbrella. Dr. Borlabi has hosted sessions for our staff to learn more about their identities and to further connect. Under her guidance, we also send newsletters spotlighting various awareness months and culturally significant practices.

Conducting Demographic Surveys

In October 2022, we administered a survey to collect the demographic information of our full-time staff. The data we collected revealed that 57% women, 44% people of color, and 47% first-generation college graduates. Additionally, 40% of our employees consider Elevo both diverse and inclusive.

This survey has given us actionable insights we can use to take our team in a more diverse direction. We will be conducting it once again later this year to see how far we’ve come, and how much more we can do to continue moving forward.

Taking Internal Action

We’re committed to educating our internal team on important cultural days and awareness months. We also provide them with resources to engage both on a personal level and a community-wide level if they are able. From Pride Month and Mental Health Awareness Month to Ramadan and Black History Month, we recognize the importance of acknowledgment and open discussion.

Final Thoughts

DEIB provides us with a powerful framework that allows everyone to feel valued, heard, and supported. By committing to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we can create an equitable, inclusive workplace and better serve the districts we partner with. Our goal is to be able to build and maintain safe spaces for all to reach their full potential.

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