Benton Harbor Education Foundation Equity Pledge to Act

The Benton Harbor Education Foundation is committed to becoming more inclusive as a Board and as individuals. This work requires effort, thought, care, courage, humility, and time. We believe this work is never-ending, with space for new ideas, understanding, growth, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Our mission is to raise, steward, and distribute resources to enrich the education of students in the Benton Harbor Area Schools and the larger community.

Our foundation understands we can only accomplish our mission with an intentional focus on DEI. We believe that every student has the right to thrive in a school where they are welcomed, included, valued, and accepted.

Our Equity Pledge to Act, is driven by our fundamental shared beliefs that:

• Every student is unique and has equal worth.
• Diversity is an asset that strengthens and enriches our community. 
• Every student benefits when people willingly contribute to the well-being of others. 

The purpose of the Benton Harbor Education Foundation Equity Pledge is to foster personal, cultural, and systemic transformation that establishes educational equity by engaging and empowering students, staff, and our community to become agents of positive change.

Diversity:

We pledge to increase professional learning opportunities that help students, families, and staff appreciate diversity and its impact within the school setting.

Equity:

We pledge to identify and respond to institutional barriers impeding student success and perpetuating educational equity gaps.

Inclusion: 

We pledge to cultivate inclusion through practices, programs, and decision making that support an inclusive atmosphere for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, culture, national origin, religion, age, or disability status.

As a foundation, we consistently use our equity lens when making decisions to ensure we include diverse perspectives and views. Our foundation works jointly to support and align with the actions and activities sponsored by our Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education. This partnership and work ultimately builds a supportive, diverse, and inclusive culture.