IDEA Commission
An IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Commission was established in September 2020 to develop strategic imperatives to guide our work.
These strategic imperatives communicate our collective organizational intent and are a framework for everyone within the Girls on the Run movement. Girls on the Run staff across the nation, along with the IDEA Commission and its subcommittees, are dedicated to creating tactics and evaluation measures to ensure positive outcomes.
IDEA Goals and Strategic Imperatives:
Inclusive
Girls on the Run is a place of belonging and authentically engages, affirms and values all people across the Girls on the Run movement.
- All participants will have a meaningful and engaging experience with our program
- Clearly define and publicize the organization’s commitment and progress toward meeting IDEA goals
- Intentionally build structures that encourage intersectionality within leadership positions
- Develop and execute strategies to actively include diverse perspectives and share power in decision making processes at all levels of the organization
- Effectively communicate how our organization invites, represents, and understands diverse participant and stakeholder experiences through a continuous improvement framework
- Conduct outreach to engage diverse communities in the organization’s work
- Create HR policies and resources to reinforce an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment
Diverse
The Girls on the Run movement mirrors the communities it serves. People of all races, ethnicities, thinking styles, with and without abilities, generations, social roles, income levels, sexual orientation, gender identity, educational levels, and religions are represented and serve as active stakeholders in our organization.
- Deepen perspective of thought by ensuring that board, staff and volunteers represent the diversity of the communities we serve
- Cultivate, ally, and steward relationships with local and national organizations that represent and amplify diverse communities
- Assess barriers to participation within current curriculum and delivery models
- Use disaggregated data to set IDEA goals and measure progress while honoring the process and celebrating the collective experience
- Ensure coaches have the necessary resources to meaningfully facilitate Girls on the Run programming to diverse audiences
Equitable
Girls on the Run is a place where systemic disparities associated with societal advantages are acknowledged and addressed. Our policies and practices ensure everyone can activate their limitless potential.
- Develop critical consciousness and expand awareness of IDEA issues among board, staff and volunteers through continuous learning opportunities
- Review and develop all organizational policies through an IDEA lens
- Review current and future vendor selection and relationships; establish vendor selection policies with an IDEA perspective
- Evaluate and update fund development strategies and resources to ensure community-centric focus
Accessible
Everyone can fully participate in Girls on the Run programming, retrieve and utilize resources, and contribute through volunteer and employment opportunities.
- Seek and secure funding from sponsors/grantors to advance IDEA strategies and outcomes
- Review resource allocation and invest in strategies that increase full and engaged participation in all areas of the organization (programming, volunteerism, employment)
- Raise awareness about existing accessibility efforts and opportunities for IDEA
- Assess and eliminate barriers to participation within the Girls on the Run movement
Leading with our core values
As this work evolves, our core values will continue to guide our way. We find strength in connectedness and value the dignity and humanity of all people. Our commitment to intentional decision making ensures we are thoughtful in all that we do. At all levels of our organization, we are dedicated to mindfully acting to be an inclusive and welcoming organization. We are inspired to lead the organization in a way that mirrors the lessons we teach our girls.
Our past IDEA work
This work to support a more equitable and just world is not new to our organization. Previous work has been grounded in five key areas:
- Intentional culture building
- Accessible and inclusive programming
- The intentional recruitment, selection and retention of staff who provide diverse perspectives and experiences
- IDEA training/professional development for all staff
- Information-based measurement to ensure continual assessment and advancement of goals
Click here to read a timeline of initiatives and progress to date in these key areas.
Our Vision and Role
We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. While we are proud to have served over 2 million girls in the past 20 years, we recognize that many girls face seen and unseen challenges and barriers that make reaching their potential more difficult for them than their peers. Research shows that Girls on the Run has a positive impact on all participants and has the greatest impact on girls who enter the program with lower perceptions of their physical, social and emotional competencies. This knowledge further underscores our responsibility to remove barriers to access and provide programming that is inclusive of and equitable to girls from all backgrounds and communities.