Diversity & Equity Newsletter
November 2020
Welcome!
Keep an eye on your inbox for these newsletters every month if you want to learn fun and useful information about diversity, equity, and ASUA!
What is The Diversity & Equity Committee?
Johns Hopkins Diversity Wheel
What is Diversity?
Why Diversity?
Why Equity? Isn't Equality Enough?
Here's a good example from a teacher:
Imagine you are in first grade. Your teacher tells you all to pretend you have an injury, but to make up different places. Your first classmate says they hurt their finger, so the teacher puts a bandaid on their finger. For everyone else, no matter where they say their injury is, the teacher puts a bandaid on the same finger as the first kid. This is treating everyone equally.
These kids all got a bandaid, but their actual problem wasn't addressed. Sometimes, people need different things in order to have the same level of access, this is why we need equity.
Equity, in this example, would be that each child got a bandaid wherever their injury actually was, or maybe more than one bandaid if needed, instead of all getting a bandaid in the same spot.
The bandaid could be a metaphor for a lot of things in this situation, but the idea stays the same. Equity is something to strive for so that people can truly be equal.
Diversity & Equity Committee Member Spotlight
This month's spotlight is Ev, the head of the Diversity & Equity Committee!
Hi everyone! My name is Evander (Ev) Smith and I use he/him or they/them pronouns.
In my roles at A Step Up Academy, I support the team as Administrative Assistant, assisting with paperwork and other office tasks. I also help with creating signage, flyers, and graphics as needed. As Diversity & Equity Specialist, I am working with the entire team to ensure that ASUA stays up to date with our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I host our Diversity Committee Meeting, where members and guests can bring up concerns and ideas related to diversity, and we can find ways to promote change and growth both in our buildings and our communities.
Outside of ASUA, I run an Etsy store, FabulousFidgets, where I make and sell sensory and fidget items. I sell both online and in person at multiple craft and art fairs around the area annually. FabulousFidgets can be found at FabulousFidgets.etsy.com! I regularly speak and write about my personal experiences being an adult on the autism spectrum, and actively work towards making the world a better, more accommodating, and accepting place for others on the spectrum. In my free time I love kayaking, hiking, camping, embroidery and sewing.
I look forward to working with you all to keep diversity and equity in the minds and actions of our community!
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About Us
Email: ev@astepupacademy.org
Website: AStepUpAcademy.org
Location: 520 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-885-1075