Social Justice and Equity is critical to our mission, reflected in our organization’s Values

A Culture of Community and Care: We will look out for and support each other, celebrate each other’s successes and grieve each other’s losses. We will live out an ethic of community care, learn from mistakes, and be challenged to do better. We will foster speech and discourse, formal and informal, that promotes equity, justice, and understanding.

Equity and Inclusion: We will work to eliminate racism and other injustice and oppression, and promote inclusion and equity at CES and in our community by identifying and dismantling all forms of social oppression. Our vision of social justice is intersectional and means working to transform all types of oppression, including racism, ableism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, adultism, ageism, transgender oppression, and religious oppression. 

Self-awareness and Growth: We will continually reflect on our own cultures and identities, and how they relate to or allocate power and privilege; and we will learn about and partner with others to challenge our own biases. We will make a personal commitment to growth toward equity, inclusion, and a community of care; and know that learning happens when we commit to being brave. 

Action and Transformation: We will take action, speak up, and propose solutions when we see oppression or discrimination; knowing that saying nothing means colluding with oppression. We strive to decolonize teaching practices, learning methods, and curricula through the accurate inclusion of the voices of people and cultures most impacted by white-supremacist narratives. We will be willing to make mistakes, and learn from both our mistakes and successes, in order to grow.