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Diversity & Inclusion Update
D&I Statement
By Katie Hecker, Co-Chair D&I Task Force
AORE Atlanta 2015 was full of HUGE strides for Diversity and Inclusion! This was in large part due to last year’s D&I Task Force. Among many things, that task force crafted a Diversity and Inclusion statement for the AORE. That statement is printed adjacent to this article and can be found on the About Us section of the AORE web site. We expect that this statement will continue to impact decisions made by the Board of Directors and efforts put forth at conferences moving forward.
Building on this momentum, the conference sessions, meetings, and general conversations about increasing diversity in the outdoor profession were a great start to a new year for the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. There were countless presenters inspiring us, the AORE membership, to reach out to those underrepresented groups in our local community. Thank you to those presenters who asked the tough questions and encouraged us to look within ourselves and our programs for areas of improvement.
The question that remains is a poignant and timely one: now that we have given increased voice to this inequity, how can we diversity AORE and the outdoor industry? We do not yet have an answer to that question, but we do have a strategy for getting there.
• First, we intend to design a survey to get a base-line on the demographics of the AORE membership. Former BOD member Liz Rogers will be spearheading this project for the D&I Task Force and in time we will ask all of you to complete a survey that will prove as a valuable baseline of the AORE membership moving forward.
• Second, we are accessing your feedback on D&I presentations from Atlanta with the goal of determining what you (the AORE) needs in the diversity and inclusion arena. Is it an institutional training, take home materials, pre/post conference training, or something else entirely? Our priority is to have this question answered to help steer workshop selections for AORE Minneapolis 2016.
• Third, we hope to identify funding for an AORE conference scholarship for underrepresented populations. For 2016 the D&I Task Force has set its sights on reaching out to colleges with underrepresented populations in the outdoor industry. We want to make the AORE, its conference, and the outdoors more accessible to those from diverse backgrounds. We have high hopes for an AORE Conference Scholarship to be offered to underrepresented populations this year.
Overall the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force is excited to lead the charge for the AORE in this ever changing landscape. Those interested in being a part of the diversity and inclusion conversation please contact me, Katie Hecker [email protected] or Abby Rowe [email protected] for more information.
The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force would like to say thank you to the AORE members for their inspiration and continued support.
In principle and in practice, the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) embraces diversity of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, veteran status, age, socioeconomic status, and outdoor experience and ability. We recognize that the perspectives and talents of an inclusive community of program leaders and participants can be a powerful catalyst for growth and change in both individuals and communities. For that reason, we seek to create a culture of inclusiveness, collaborative practice, and innovation in the outdoor recreation and education field.
We recognize that there is an "adventure gap" in America. Some demographic and socioeconomic groups are underrepresented in outdoor recreation and education. In an effort to close this gap, we will strive to do the following:
• We will seek out and welcome people from all communities into our profession and our membership, and encourage them to participate in the affairs of the association as committee and task force members, conference presenters, and as members of the AORE Board of Directors.
• We will encourage our members to be inclusive in the operation of the programs they provide to students, military populations, and the general public.
• We will reflect on the ways in which our community has excluded people from marginalized backgrounds, and strive to reduce the barriers faced by these individuals through direct outreach and other means.
• We will establish an expectation of mutual respect in the interactions that happen across our Association.
• We will look for opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion in our partnerships with other organizations.
• We will continue to be a learning-centered organization that values the perspectives and contributions of all people.