Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at New Futures

At New Futures, our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) starts within our organization and extends to the community of people we serve and with whom we partner. We recognize that many of our Scholars and New Futures community members have faced oppressive barriers due to our country’s long history of racism, sexism, classism, ableism and other inequitable practices that we are still grappling with today. We believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, and we stand firmly against any actions or behaviors that undermine these principles.

In our work to build and maintain a community of access and opportunity, we commit to the following:

Inclusion

We strive to build and sustain a community that fosters engagement and creates genuine respect and belonging for all Scholars, staff, board members, and members of our broader New Futures community.

Diversity

We strive to ensure that a broad diversity of individuals is reflected throughout the New Futures community. Diversity is expressed through a wide range of human traits including, but not limited to race, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and immigration status.

Equity

We strive to build a community where everyone is provided with the support they need to enable them to fully engage with our organization and achieve success in their own right. Equity requires creating fair and just practices that address structural inequities, historic and current, that advantage some and disadvantage others.

Accessibility

We strive to establish and maintain processes, policies, and infrastructure that will enable our Scholars to connect with educational programs best suited to their professional and educational goals; and, that will enable all members of our community to take full advantage of and participate in the educational, professional, and community opportunities and services supported by New Futures.

While these ideals guide us in our continuous journey of IDEA work, we recognize that our ability to deliver on our mission of connecting Scholars with educational opportunities that lead to rewarding careers requires accountability to make it a reality. As an organization, we will hold ourselves and each other accountable to working toward these ideals through open-mindedness, action, and transparency.

This statement was last updated on July 10, 2024 and has been adopted and approved by the New Futures staff and the full New Futures Board on Sep 25, 2024.