Equity Statement
The reality is that systems of inequity continue to plague our nation and schools - from the lack of resources and advising support to access to technology to a gap in college knowledge - limiting the potential of students who identify as black, indigenous or as people of color. Because of these systems, a student's race remains one of the most predictive measures of postsecondary success, and countless students' aspirations are never fully realized.
In fact, this pressing need for equity within the classroom was the catalyst for creating Education Opens Doors. Our organization was founded on the belief that all students deserve the opportunity to pursue their limitless potential, regardless of their race, gender-identity, ability, background, or creed - and we have fiercely pursued that mission since 2012.
However, if we fail to explicitly address and fundamentally disrupt the institutionalized racism present in our society, then we, as Education Opens Doors, cannot accurately claim to support "all students." It is not enough to simply be non-racist. We must be actively anti-racist in order to begin to unravel the inequity woven into the fabric of our society. Our students deserve no less.
Education Opens Doors is staunch in our commitment to equality. We realize that there is no "finish line" to this undertaking - that there is no accumulation of training, certifications, and consultants that will ever mean our work is done. However, we unwaveringly commit to the practice, the journey, the learning and unlearning.
We also recognize that this journey is not one that can be undertaken in a silo. We need collaboration.
Community. Mutual accountability. To this end, we invite our peers, funders, and stakeholders to join us on this path and hold each other to the ideals of transformational change in which we have grounded our work.
Far too many have been denied equity and justice for far too long. It's past time to open the doors.