DEI Strategic Plan : Four Themes
Outreach
Actively reaching out to underserved minority students and BIPOC professionals in a more direct and personal manner to increase exposure and awareness to the profession and encourage more diverse group of people to enter the profession.
Younger Students: Increasing exposure and awareness of profession among younger students in diverse and underserved communities
- k-12 students, early & often
- High school mentoring program
- What we do and how we do it
- how we are a community-engaged design profession that can shape policy
- Value of profession
Action Items
- Elementary/middle school career day presentations
- High school career fair
- Tour My Park initiative (LA-led tour of familiar neighborhood parks in underserved community)
Diverse LA Communities: Reaching out to BIPOC LA members in direct and personal manner
- Increasing BIPOC member’s engagement & involvement
- Mentoring & personal connections to students & young professionals
- Avoid tokenism
- Cross-pollinating / working with other groups / committees / allied organizations
Action Items
- Professional / business mentoring program
- Joint forum/events with allied organizations
Access
Lowering the institutional and financial barriers to BIPOC LA students and emerging professionals who face financial challenges.
Entering Profession: Lowering financial barriers for BIPOC students to enter into the profession
- Education: Financial assistance to financially challenged BIPOC LA students
- Internship Program: Paid internship program for BIPOC LA students
Action Items
- Micro-grant program for BIPOC students
- National ASLA convention grant for BIPOC students
- Paid internship mandate (i.e. make it a requirement for award submission)
- Paid internship programs for BIPOC students
Succeeding in Profession: Lowering financial barriers for BIPOC emerging professionals to succeed in the profession
- ASLA Membership Dues: Sliding scale with additional grants available (National/NY)
- LARE Exams: Financial assistance / prep support (info, literature, study sessions)
Diversifying Career Path
- Fabrication
- Construction
- Construction Management
Action Items
- Emerging Professional micro-grant
- LARE exam support grant
- National ASLA convention grant
- ASLA-NY Chapter due subsidy grant
- Discount for award submission for BIPOC firms
- Discount for major event registration fees
- Alliance programs with manufacturers, fabricators, shops & contractors
Facilitation
Facilitate institutional level discussions of anti-racism and equality among decision makers, firm leaders, and educators for actionable and concrete changes.
Anti-Racism Awareness
- Decision Makers / Firm Leaders / Professors
- Anti-Racism Awareness Workshops
- Guidelines for project intake to avoid community harm
- ASLA-NY Members
- Training for personal self-inquiry & investigation of implicit bias at firms
Educational Reform
- Promote educational equality
- Diversify faculty and student body
- Reform LA history course & rhetoric
Action Items
- Guidelines for LA firm DEI training manual
- Guidelines for project intake to avoid community harm
- Tri-State Educators DEI summit
Celebration
Celebrate the diversity of our LA community and advocate the talents and contributions of the BIPOC members and students.
Diversity of Voices
- Promote BIPOC joy and opportunity
- More representations of BIPOC practitioners and their work
Culturally relevant Communication and Events
- Accessible & inclusive language and sharing of pronouns
- Land acknowledgements
- More transparent ASLA-NY board operations
Action Items
- Highlighting notable BIPOC members in chapter website
- Conference focusing on BIPOC work / community / practitioners
- Mandatory policy of land acknowledgements at all ASLA-NY events/programs
- Create a DEI category in Design Awards
- Encourage diverse inclusion in committees, with the goal of training / mentoring future board members and leaders
- Nomination and elevation of BIPOC members to Fellows level