Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We are committed to creating a more inclusive future.
Diversity
We recognize that diversity comes in many forms. We also know that forming a diverse community takes ongoing work. We consciously commit ourselves to engage in the self-reflection, learning, and actions that will increase the opportunities for all people to follow their own paths within a beloved community. If you have ideas for how we can do better, email emily@thehedgerows.org.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity: We recognize that the Seacoast region is 85% white and that this didn’t happen by random chance. In order to commit to racial and ethnic diversity, we need to examine the historical and ongoing marginalization of indigenous and people of color in our area. We then need to consider what we can do to begin to correct these injustices, both within our organization and within the greater community. This is hard work that we attempt to integrate into our daily culture through asking open-ended questions, looking to various sources of knowledge, and having hard conversations.
Socioeconomic Diversity: Our vision is to build a new system of public education that is accessible to everyone. We don’t yet know exactly how we will do that. Currently, we have what we believe to be a generous sliding-scale tuition, with the goal of enrolling every learner who is interested. This is an imperfect solution, and we hope to find a way to fund our programming that is truly accessible to all.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity: Whomever you love and however you identify, you are welcome here. We understand that the process of young people forming their own identity often involves exploring different names and pronouns, and we welcome people who are already advocating strongly for their own identity, those who are still figuring it out, and those who are confused by what all this even means. We consciously try to represent all types of people and families in the curricular materials available to learners.
Religious and Cultural Diversity: The Hedgerows is a secular organization that recognizes that religion influences culture and vice-versa. We approach religious and cultural diversity by encouraging curiosity about everything: What do I believe? What do other people believe? How does this influence our individual perspectives and decisions? Who are our ancestors, and how does this impact who we are today? How can we welcome and celebrate everyone?
Neurodiversity: All brains are welcome at The Hedgerows! We embrace the idea that all neurological traits are inherently neutral but can provide advantages or disadvantages in different environments or activities. We embrace self-identification of neurotypes and offer accommodations to all individuals without the need for medical diagnosis. In simple terms, that means that if there is something that will help you learn and thrive, we want to help you get it.
Other Types of Diversity: Human beings are all unique. We recognize that we have not listed every type of diversity here. Our goal is to create a place where each person can feel welcome to show up exactly as they are and find belonging in a community that respects and celebrates their individual way of being in the world.
equity
The diversity of the human experience means that each person needs different things in their journey towards self-actualization. We approach equity by helping every individual to figure out what it is they need to thrive in any moment in time and then helping them get those things. If it turns out those things don’t work as expected, we simply try again!
inclusion
The only person who can decide whether or not they feel included is the individual in question. We approach inclusion by regularly asking each of our learners: do you feel like you belong here? If the answer is no, we have more work to do, all of us, together as a community. We recognize that the work of inclusion is time-consuming, never-ending, and vitally important. The quest for inclusion is the reason The Hedgerows exists.