GIV’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

GIV’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) is built on the belief that all young people deserve to learn, grow, and be accepted and celebrated for who they are. Young people should be seen and heard, their voices uplifted and empowered. GIV is committed to playing its part in creating a world where that truth is acknowledged and acted upon: a world that cannot exist without actively addressing, challenging, and dismantling discrimination and hate.

GIV creates communities in which every person should feel comfortable and safe showing up as their whole selves without fear of judgment. We are committed to creating that environment through intentionality and action, listening to and uplifting the voices of youth in our community so that we can constantly grow and better meet their needs. Bigotry and discrimination of any kind have no place at GIV. Staff and students of all genders, orientations, cultures, and financial backgrounds are welcomed at our programs. Special provisions will be made on all of our campuses and classroom spaces to accommodate people with disabilities.

GIV commits to...

Reaching and offering opportunities to marginalized youth across Vermont.

GIV will intentionally seek out and provide support for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, New American, disabled, financially disadvantaged, and neurodivergent students in our application and enrollment process. We will work directly with these students and their families as needed to ensure our programs are accessible to them, including any necessary translation services, and tuition support through our sliding scale tuition model.

Building a safe and supportive community for our students.

It is our responsibility to create safe spaces for all of our students, working to prevent harm in their pursuit of community, learning, and personal growth. To that effect, GIV will not turn a blind eye to bigotry and hate at our programs. No students, staff, or administration will be allowed to perpetuate discriminatory ideals. Should such a thing occur, steps will immediately be taken to disrupt bullying and repair harm.

Amplifying diverse perspectives.

This means creating intentional space for traditionally marginalized voices to influence GIV’s organizational strategy; using our platforms to uplift those voices; and listening to those voices as we make changes to better our organization. We acknowledge that this is an ongoing process, and will continue to hold ourselves accountable through the regular pursuit and adoption of new perspectives.

Naming and challenging systemic racism.

GIV does not want to shy away from the reality of systemic racism and its persistent effect on our everyday lives. We are committed to being vigilant about implicit biases and harmful societal norms, calling them out and making conscious change in and outside of our organization to eradicate them.

Fostering difficult and real conversations about discrimination.

We can’t make meaningful change if we are afraid to address the realities of the problem. GIV will create space for honest discourse about racism, sexism, bigotry, and discrimination, ensuring that marginalized students’ perspectives are represented and respected.

Being equitable in our hiring processes.

It is critically important that all students are able to see themselves at GIV. That means having teachers and mentors that reflect a diversity of culture and perspective. We will seek out and offer opportunities to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, New American, disabled, financially disadvantaged, and neurodivergent individuals interested in joining GIV’s staff, creating change based on their feedback and expertise.

Training and educating our staff to identify and challenge discriminatory practices and systems.

GIV will provide free resources for all staff to learn and grow their understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We will build a community of teachers, mentors, and administration that is knowledgeable and prepared to challenge discrimination at our programs and beyond.