In 2016 we initiated a pilot program to support organizations engaged in creating more welcoming and equitable workspaces. Over two years, we provided 50 hours of professional development to 131 leaders representing 17 organizations, schools and city departments. We All Belong partnered with CQ Strategies, a highly skilled consultant team delivering coaching and training to participants.
We All Belong participating agencies have made broad and lasting improvements such as:
- Improved community relations
- Effective communications across cultures
- Strengthened relationships among staff
- Heightened employee morale
- Implemented practices to recruit and retain diverse staff
- Clearer strategies to achieve mission and goals
- Creation of a diversity strategic plan
- Inclusive customer service standards
- More diverse and engaged Board of Directors
“The We All Belong trainings have been extremely valuable for our staff and Board of Directors. Participating has certainly raised our awareness as an organization about the critical need to become more culturally competent in order to better serve our community. It requires leadership and systems being put in place so the change isn’t dependent on one or two people within the organization but becomes embedded in the organization’s standard operations.”
–Martha Maksym, Executive Director, United Way of Chittenden County
“The things I got out of the trainings were really tangible. The opportunity to discuss these issues and get to know colleagues in other parts of the city were really what galvanized this process for me. I learned a lot.”
–Barbara Shatara, Outreach Librarian, Fletcher Free Library
“The We All Belong Program has brought a new level of inclusion, outreach ability, cultural competence and participant diversity to the programs of the VNA Family Room.”
–Samantha Stevens, Co-Director, VNA Family Room
“One of the resources through We All Belong that I appreciated most this year was the effort to build a strong network among participating organizations. As a tiny organization, we’ve been able to connect and collaborate with other entities that share a commitment to cultural competency. Efforts to continue to build this network go a long way toward strengthening our work, in part because we are able to draw upon a cast of not-always-obvious allies.”
-Rebecca Gurney, Executive Director, YWCA Vermont
To learn more from participants about their experience within the We All Belong Program, watch our CCTV video clip, which gives a brief description of the program and impacts shared by two participating agencies: the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center and the Burlington School District.
The We All Belong curriculum developed awareness, skills, and knowledge to work across differences on a personal, interpersonal and systemic level. A sample of systems-level changes implemented by participating agencies because of this program are:
- ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center added Cultural Responsiveness to their annual staff performance evaluations.
- The City of Burlington's Human Resources Department is implementing a new, online diversity training program too all 600+ staff.
- The Visiting Nurse Association reduced barriers to hiring Personal Care Attendants (PCA) who have limited English skills. They are training PCA's in clients' homes instead of in a classroom where higher English proficiency was needed.
- South Burlington School District assembled is in the nascent stages of their equity work. The AmeriCorps member is conducting a climate and culture assessment interviewing staff across the district to inform a strategic plan.
- HOPE Works education staff survey participants prior to giving a workshop to ascertain if anyone has limited English skills and make plans to support student participation.
- Vermont Energy Investment Corporation introduced new processes to reduce bias in their hiring.
- The Burlington School District launched a Diversity Alliance Council to facilitate collaboration and resource sharing between the School District and community members.
