DEIB at RisingOaks

At RisingOaks Early Learning, we uphold and maintain a community where families, children, educators and staff feel safe, respected, empowered, and a sense of belonging. With this sense of belonging, everyone can learn, grow, challenge themselves, and bring their perspective.

We respect the many different perspectives and lived experiences within our community. RisingOaks commits to being accountable to our community through reflective practice. Collectively, we strive to continuously challenge the status quo and enhance inclusivity and allyship within our community.

DEIB Principles

RisingOaks’ DEIB Principles are the organizational commitments that provide RisingOaks with a tool to affirm at regular intervals that the organization’s direction is in alignment with its DEIB Statement.

• We commit to annually reviewing our DEIB policies for areas for improvement.
• We commit to active listening with each other, and to finding ways to gather the voices regarding their DEIB experiences within our organization at least every three years.

What's Next?

• Make inclusivity visible – when we see it, we believe it
  • A review of our marketing material from a DEIB lens
  • Create a DEIB in Action space for each location
  • Enhance our onboarding processes, forboth staff and families
• Review communication tools with a DEIB lens
  
  • Redesigning communication tools (e.g., e-news, parent handbook,) to include more diversity
  • Website review
  • Enhancing social media, Days of Observances recognition (acknowledging major observances celebrated within our community, ensuring unbiased content)
  • Sharing personal stories that relate to DEIB on social media (ECE spotlight, IWD, etc.)
• An educator-focused communication strategy, led by educators and the DEIB committee
  
  • Development of communication guidelines and frameworks
  • Improve understanding and awareness of DEIB practices and policies
  • Social media strategy focused on DEIB activities, initiatives and successes
  • Create a video series and/or FAQs related to the new or revised organizational health policies (e.g., conflict resolution, workplace harassment & discrimination, etc).

 Click the image below to see prior updates.

The steering committee recently developed a visual representation of the various roles involved in our work to date to help add clarity.

In this model, the red arrows identify who each individual or group is accountable to.

Employees are accountable to their supervisor who is accountable to the sr. leadership team.

The reference group (RG) members and champions of belonging are accountable to their supervisor, but we have the dashed blue line indicating an indirect relationship between the RG and champions, and between the RG/champions and the employees at the centre.

The role of the RG member is to provide advice and guidance on DEIB policies, programs, practices and systems change and to guide implementation alongside the leadership team.

The role of the champions is to support the RG in implementing DEIB initiatives, including facilitation, engaging with employees, listening, providing support and then referring the employee to their supervisor for ongoing problem-solving or to address new concerns.