The journey towards racial justice is ongoing and although EENM has committed to this work, there is a still a long road ahead. Please read on to learn more about our organizational journey and for additional resources on racial justice and anti-racism below.
We at EENM have been transforming our organization for the last 3+ years to strive for equity and inclusion through becoming community-centered and shifting to shared leadership. We are grateful to have had the opportunity work with the Center for Diversity and the Environment in 2017 and 2018 to begin the work having courageous conversations internally around exploring equity, inclusion, and justice. Out of these conversations, we began exploring new systems and structures for our organization that center on models of shared leadership and value emergent processes.
With all of you, we have been exploring systems change and getting really clear on impact including what we as a community want to see change for us, our children, and our communities. Our community-centered strategic planning process in 2018 and 2019 allowed for co-creation of our new mission, vision, and strategic direction. In 2018, we drafted organizational values with all of you and launched the “Equity in EE Learning Community“. Our “Equity in EE Learning Community” is a confidential space for courageous conversations around inclusiveness, equity and justice, racism, and power dynamics in supporting individual and organizational change. In April and early May, we explored our learnings around a 21-day racial equity challenge and we encourage viewing the shared learnings here: https://eenm.org/
In late 2019, we hosted the New Mexico Proud, Exploring Equitable Education Outdoors gathering which explored equity and social impact in access to the outdoors and environmental learning (notes are available by clicking here). Out of that gathering, we launched the 2020 Exploring Equitable Education Outdoors Fellowship where we have 18 amazing Fellows doing incredible systems thinking work that will help lead our work and efforts for many years. This Fellowship program is built on a foundation of shared decision making, valuing relationships over transactions, an abundance mindset, and transformational leadership.
There is much to celebrate about the journey we have been on and so much more that needs to be done. We at EENM are committed to racial justice and will continue to “do the work” internally as well as learning from and supporting the community in these efforts. To learn more about our internal and external actions, please visit https://eenm.org/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/.
And, if you’re looking for additional resources in advancing equity and justice, please check out the new “Let’s Talk About Race“ web portal from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture which includes tools specific to educators as well as the resources compiled by the North American Association for Environmental Education (https://naaee.org/eepro/