DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT

Since its inception, ASAP! has been committed to creating spaces of belonging for students, staff and volunteers from diverse racial, ethnic, socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds, and with diverse cognitive and physical abilities. We are grateful for the recent swell in the national conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion because it encourages us to inspect our efforts and self-reflect at an organizational and individual level. All of us at ASAP! acknowledge that there is so much more we can do to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do.

ASAP! is committed to:

• Ensuring DEI continues to be woven into the very fabric of our organization and our strategic planning by regularly reflecting on how we can improve and including benchmarks associated with improvement in our institutional plans.
• Increasing the diversity of perspectives among our decision-makers, teaching artists and audiences.
• Making sure that all potential students, staff and volunteers in our region can learn about our programs and resources equitably through intentional marketing and communication efforts.
• Providing financial aid, transportation assistance and other accommodations ensuring access for all who wish to participate in our programs or work with ASAP!

We believe that we are all born creative, and at ASAP! we strive to nurture creativity with open hearts and minds, meeting the unique needs of each individual. We seek to instill practices necessary to valuing the perspectives and experiences of others. At ASAP!, our students, staff and volunteers recognize that they can challenge, explore and observe themselves in a safe space where they belong. ASAP! seeks to foster and strengthen meaningful connections between the diverse communities we work with by bringing individuals into relationship with one another in order to collaborate, learn, create, grow and broaden the possibilities for all.