Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At camp it is extremely important to put diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront to make sure your campers, parents, staff and volunteers always feel safe and welcome. The camp environment should be as inclusive as possible for all campers regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language or ethnic background, personality, social and emotional IQ, or mental or physical disabilities. The definitions of DEI are as follows:

Diversity: The practice or quality of including the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.

Equity: Refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality, whereas equality means providing the same to all. Equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances.

Inclusion: The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure as well as providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups.

Here are several steps to successfully foster DEI and make sure all feel welcome at camp:

1. Put Respect for All at the forefront of camp.
2. Engrain and promote a culture that culminates DEI.
3. Eliminate barriers to attend your camp.
4. Encourage a diverse enrollment, including those with special needs.
5. Be prepared and be flexible to adjust to individual needs.
6. Listen and learn to educate yourself and your camp.
7. Have plans in place to accommodate anyone with a physical or mental disability.
8. Have written policies and procedures for DEI as well as tackling non-inclusive behavior or discrimination within your program or organization.
9. Include teambuilding activities as well as social and emotional learning activities within your camp program.
10. Be proactive and teach campers about differences and how to embrace it.
11. Make sure all campers feel welcome in all groups and are included in every activity.
12. Engrain a no tolerance policy on bullying within camp and be responsive to incidents.
13. Train staff and volunteers on DEI within the staff group and within their camp groups.
14. Ensure your facility is safe and accommodating.
15. Know and understand local, state, and federal rules that apply to DEI such as ADA regulations.
16. Understand DEI is a continuous process and is year round.

These are just a few steps of many you can implement to make sure all kids, parents, staff, and volunteers feel safe, accepted, and included to ensure you have a camp they will never forget. An inclusive summer camp experience is not just beneficial, it’s transformative. It can bring a plethora of advantages that extend far beyond the boundaries of camp.