Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
A Time for Change and Action Working Group
High 5 Adventure Learning Center is dedicated to supporting people to improve how they connect, live, work, and learn with each other. Racism is a barrier that impacts the ability of everyone in the community to do all of these things. Our responsibility is to help remove the barriers of racism to support the growth of stronger communities where everyone is valued. High 5® is committed to supporting the creation of this new reality.
To address racial injustice, we created a working group named A Time for Change and Action (ATCA) in the fall of 2020. Staff members from all High 5 departments meet monthly to build our awareness, skills, and support change within the organization and our field. We recognize that there are multiple identities individuals hold that lead to experiencing privilege and oppression with the way our society is currently structured. The ATCA working group is dedicated to addressing racism specifically to be able to narrow our scope in our historically white-dominated field of adventure and experiential education.
Our Actions and Ongoing Initiatives...
- Run monthly working group meetings with members representing all High 5 departments to build our skills and advance projects.
- Continually review, revise, and adapt materials we produce and manage including our website, workshop welcome messaging, evaluations, forms, etc., to be more inclusive.
- To further improve our ability to be inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive, we’ve created a feedback page an internal process to solicit additional input.
- Created a review process to ensure names of challenge course elements and products and services honor communities and cultures that bear their name(s) (ex. Mohawk Ironworkers Walk & Ubuntu).
- We’re adding historical and philosophical context to the introduction and resources provided with Ubuntu cards, a facilitation resource.
- Established a place to exchange learning materials highlighting oppression and positive change within the outdoor, adventure, and general education fields. We also support professional development experiences for staff to build their knowledge, comfort, and skills.
- Expanded our hiring outlets to ensure we reach more diverse audiences.
- Evolving partnership with DEI Outdoors and other expert consultants to inform our efforts.
- Infusing equity and positive change-making into High 5’s fundamentals and strategic planning process.
- Partnered with local and industry-specific organizations (ex. The Venture Out Project, Out in the Open, DEI Outdoors) to support each other and their efforts. We plan to broaden our engagement to engage with more groups with social justice aims within our local community and profession.
- Developing scholarship funding to support emerging practitioners in the industry who are confronted with financial barriers.
We Remain Focused On...
- Ensuring that what we create and communicate as an organization is racially inclusive and responsive, and
- Removing obstacles for more Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and BIPOC-led organizations to flourish in this field.
We Welcome Your Input
We value inclusive dialogue, learning from experiences, and collaborating with impacted communities to drive meaningful change. Your feedback is crucial as we strive to be more inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive in our products and services.
HIGH 5 ADVENTURE LEARNING CENTER
130 Austine Drive, Suite 170
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Office: 802-254-8718
Toll Free: 877-356-4445
Fax: 802-251-7203
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