We celebrate every expression of love, authenticity, and freedom here at Next Level Trainings. Through your feedback and contribution, we've made monumental strides in making our curriculum and internal organization safe, equitable, and diverse. We acknowledge that this is just the beginning and because of you, we celebrate the strides we've made.
Here are just some of the ways we have incorporated feedback:
Increased diverse representation in our coaching teams
Online Zoom coach names now include pronouns to foster an environment of inclusion
Piloted DEI training for coaches (Cultivate Equality at Work, Empathetic Leadership)
Adapted curriculum and trainer selection based on community feedback
Included gender-neutral options for key exercises within our Core curriculum
DEI training for the Next Level Trainings Leadership team, on subjects such as Accessibility, Transformation from Oppression to Inclusion, Practical Problem Solving, Intersectionality, and Ally/ Accomplice so that change continues to occur within our organization
Created an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force of a diverse group of graduates to collect feedback, review and audit our training spaces, have honest conversations, and create tangible action steps based on the feedback
Launched a Leadership Advisory Council for collecting feedback on building and engaging the community
Increased student diversity in our trainings
Provided Diversity Scholarships to students from underrepresented identities: 18+ full or partial scholarships as of June 2021
Added closed captions to our trainings for deaf or hard-of-hearing students
Invested in a minority-owned and woman-owned business by sponsoring the Demystifying Diversity podcast with Next Level Philadelphia alumni, Daralyse Lyons
Other ways in which we’ve taken action:
Trauma-informed coaching resources
Creating payment plans to make trainings more inclusive (in progress)
Modified student checklists and provided care calls/coaching for extra support based on need
Partnered with Transformation of Race to provide 100+ seats of training to alumni
Mental health professional (licensed therapist) available for consulting
Completed mental health first aid for Columbus staff
Team debrief on what’s working/not working post-trainings
Thank you Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task (EDIT) Force Members Brooke Wojdynski, Alisa Tate, Ariana Ulloa-Olavarrieta, Asma Rehman, John Stegall, Laddan Shoar, Noelani Scotton, and Amy Tuccio, for all that you do. EDIT Force members represent diversity of race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, geographic location, and socioeconomic background.
We’re looking for additional ways to make the trainings as safe, diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible. Please provide your feedback below.
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