WE ARE ALL IN

equity & INCLUSION vision

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, we open our doors and embrace everyone, especially those who need us most, no matter what their needs may be in the moment. Every single one of us - Club members, families, staff, board members, volunteers, and partners - has a role in creating a great future for our kids and community because we all benefit from a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment that provides safety for everyone.

In our Clubs, diversity, which includes all the pieces inside and outside that makes us unique, is genuinely celebrated. We nurture a sense of belonging in our young people that will carry through to adulthood. It isn’t just about the work we are doing and the relationships we are building today, but it is also about creating change and building for the great futures of tomorrow. It is about making sure each one of our young people, when they leave our Clubs, feels the confidence that comes with being firm in the knowledge that they, first and foremost, belong to themselves, in body, mind, and spirit.

We believe that every child can become a productive, caring, responsible human. Therefore, we are committed to providing access to the resources and opportunities to reach their great future.

While we celebrate the diversity among us and see it as a strength, we know that we all seek to be appreciated, valued, and loved despite our differences. That aspiration is the great unifier; it connects us and brings us together.

At the Clubs, we have policies, standards, and systems that reinforce the celebration of diversity, the pursuit of equity, and the inclusion of all. We encourage a culture of curiosity for our kids, staff, and board members that they may always learn and grow. We will create genuine respect and compassion for all people.

In the fall of 2020, an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, named “All In” was formed, made up of staff in a variety of positions representing each of our Clubs and administrative office. This committee took on creating an Equity & Inclusion Vision for BGCSPS, that speaks to all of our stakeholders who are all in as we work together to create great futures for our young people. Developing the Vision was a months-long process of learning, sharing, and brainstorming by our staff, Club members and our Board of Governors. This Equity & Inclusion Vision is filled with so much heart, hope and pride; it will act as a road map for our organization for years into the future.

equity & INCLUSION STATEMENT

Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound is an anti-racist youth development organization that works to break down barriers and stand against injustices that have held individuals back for so many years, in particular people of color. We have policies, standards, and systems in place for each child, staff, board member and volunteer to follow, that reinforce the celebration of diversity, the pursuit of equity, and inclusion of all. As a youth development organization we believe that every young person, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and religion, can become productive, caring, responsible humans, and we are committed to providing access to the resources and opportunities that each need to reach their own great futures.