NAAEE
Summary Report:
Inclusion Meeting
October 29 & 30, 2007
NorthBay in North East, MD
Presented to: Brian Day
Prepared by: Courtney Schwarten
and Iantha Gantt-Wright
Report prepared: November 5, 2007
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Overview
In September of 2007, Brian Day from NAAEE contacted Courtney Schwarten
about possibly facilitating a meeting between representatives of the Board of the
Directors and of the Diversity Committee. After an initial conversation between
Courtney and Brian, the planning team for NAAEE met on a conference call with
Iantha Gantt-Wright and Courtney Schwarten. With the information from the
conference call and follow up email, the conversation with Brian, and the results
of the pre-meeting assessments, Courtney and Iantha designed the facilitation of
the day and a half meeting around the following objectives:
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Renew/rebuild trust amongst meeting participants
Improve communication
Define diversity – develop shared language
Create new possibilities between the NAAEE Board of Directors, Diversity
Committee and Staff
Envision a culture of NAAEE that fully supports diversity
Day One
Ground Rules/Working Agreements
 Listen respectfully
 One person speaks at a time
 Speak from the “I” self
 “Ouch”– then educate
 Be respectful of time
 Space for all voices to be heard
 Have fun
 Find resolutions as much as possible
 Confidentiality – what we hear here stays here
 Be truthful, speak up
 Create safe environment
 Give benefit of the doubt
Additional thoughts on objectives were raised. As these were talked through, the
group decided that the original objectives encompassed what was really needed
AND possible in the short time together.
For possible future reference, the additional thoughts on objects included:
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Agreement and commitment with definitions and norms for working
together
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Declaration of vision of what NAAEE is, can become, and how to get
there.
How to move people along the spectrum
Commitment and will to do this together
Document of agreement from this meeting
Look at how we work together and how we work with people representing
diverse populations
We need to talk – space for conversation
What are the next steps we are committed to and who takes them and the
role of the organization in this
Assessments and Assertions
Assertions are:
 Facts
Assessments are:
 Interpretations
 Opinions
 Perspectives
 Perceptions
 Assumptions
 Beliefs
 Expectations
People are assessment making machines. Communication becomes difficult
when we hold our assessments as assertions, as facts.
Each person has a different perspective, a different lens he/she looks through.
Get to know your assessments and your lenses, and the assessments and
lenses of others.
Layers and Legacies – the lenses we wear
Diversity wheel model –what it all means
Objectives:
 Understand how important it is to be aware of your individual lenses.
 Recognize the various dimensions of diversity beyond race, ethnicity and
gender
 Know the value of exploring organizational diversity lenses and filters.
 Understand that assessments are based on our individual /organizational
lenses and filters
 Emphasize that everyone is part of this conversation.
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 The dimensions of the diversity wheel vary from person to person..
 There are significant historical distinctions within the environmental
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movement around issues of diversity.
Shifting your lenses opens the possibility for new conversations
Conversations of possibility....
Everyone went around and added a word to the list, to describe the mood that
went with the NAAEE Staff, the organization, the Board, and the Diversity
Committee. From those lists, we talked about what was possible and what was
not possible from those moods. Then we moved into a conversation of different
possible moods and of new kinds of conversations.
Staff – as perceived
Homogenous (lack diversity)
Harried
Overloaded
Overwhelmed
Dedicated
Under pressure
Over-worked
Needs to share workload
Needs to diversify
High quality
Organization – as perceived
Well intentioned
Behind schedule
In denial
Fragmented
Struggling
Unaware
Unclear
Tired
Old fashioned
Trying
Staff –
conversations of possibility
Happy
Partnership
Clarity/focus
Recognition
Conversations that include specifics
Moral support
Frank conversations
Frequent conversations
Teamwork
Action oriented
Decide to do less
Share workload
Organization –
conversations of possibility
United
Enthusiasm
Ownership
Embracing
Understanding
Clarity
Willingness
Growth
Open conversations
Diverse membership
Increased $
Better flow of resources
Follow up with those who have raised
hands
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Conversations beyond the conference
Focus and priority
Fact finding with affiliates
Communication between Staff, Board
and Diversity Committee
Staffing conversations
Board – as perceived
Confused
Self fulfilling
Overwhelmed
Well intentioned
Unbalanced
Concerned
Committed
Open but holding on to...
Unprepared
In denial
Diversity Committee – as perceived
Dis-trust
Frustrated
Disenfranchised
Open to move
Untrusting
Lion-hearted
Disjointed
Watchdog
Underdog
Bulldog (woof)
Dedicated
Hurt
Confused
Committed
Active
Board –
conversations of possibility
Representative
Nurturing leadership
Confidence
Open
Expanded
Motivated
Supportive
Valuing diversity
Listening
Non-judgmental
Accepting of diverse ideas
A clear goal
Different conversations
Include “table extenders”
Broaden definition of EE
Ask what is needed
Diversity Committee –
conversations of possibility
Instead of possibility, the conversation
started with brining up old examples.
This was a re-telling of the issues as
seen by the “side of the Diversity
Committee” and the Board in a place of
“defending actions and decisions”.
Question – why are you here?
Question - are you ready to let the past
conversations go?
Everyone was invited to pick up a
natural object on the beach to
represent something to let go of, and
then toss it into the bay.
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Day Two
One-word check in:
Eager
Hope
Ready
Home
Potential
Emergent
Expectant
Peaceful
Forward
Dizzy
Happy
Grateful
Energized
Norming
Hopeful
Trust
Definition of Trust:
 Shared understanding
 Not just a belief in something outside of you
 Generated through language, emotion and movement
 Trust building is based on expanded understanding of trust
Breaking down trust makes it something we can work with.
Distinction:
Betrayal v. Broken Trust
Betrayal seems like someone intentionally breeching trust.
Broken trust
If we hold trust as absolute, that there is trust or there is not trust (when trust is
betrayed), then where can we move? If instead we recognize that trust is
something that can be broken, then it is also possible to find ways to rebuild trust.
Language of trust:
Trust is a positive assessment of someone’s
 sincerity – no intent to deceive
 competence – person has the skills and abilities to do what they
promise/commit to
 reliability – promises or commitments have been fulfilled over time
How do you enter trust?
How does the other person enter trust?
This varies from person to person, from culture to culture.
High trust – “I trust everyone unless they give me a reason not to.”
Low trust – “I’ll trust someone once they have earned it.”
The Mood of Trust
What does/would it feel and look like?
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Act in ways that create safety
Make legitimate and specific requests
Recognize one another for commitments kept and outstanding work
Engage in a mood of lightness when appropriate
Is distrust based on missing sincerity, reliability and/or competence?
The Results/Action Plan
Final conversation – words, concepts and questions to consider in defining
“diversity” for NAAEE:
 Is diversity the word we should define?
 Racial justice
 Operational definition for NAAEE
 Attracting individuals of color, as well as expanding to invite other
educators coming from other perspectives (i.e. health, environmental
justice)
 Indicator of success: people of color have a voice and a place in the
organization
 Racial diversity and ethnic diversity
 Also embracing other types of diversity
 Special emphasis on ethnicity and race
 Diversity statement and a statement on race
 Reach out to a broader segment of professionals serving various
communities
 Reach out to educate health, environmental justice and others who we
think are doing EE work
 Reach out to our own members to do a better job enhancing their work
 Current primary focus is persons of color and racial justice
 Statement of diversity
 Intent
 Expanding the field to be more inclusive of terms of racial and ethnic
diversity, diverse professionals, professionals reaching diverse
populations, and topics relevant to a broader population
 Be truly committed
 NAAEE as an organization that people of different race and ethnicity feel
included, part of
 Find a way to avoid “exploited” feeling and turn it into “there’s something in
it for me”
 Engage others in the process of creating a definition
 Shared definition of racial justice
 Address issue of thinking that people of color don’t care about the
environment (help all of us move away from that stereotype)
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More equitable distribution of resources (resources of all kinds, such as
people, education, $, etc.)
Watch for possible twisting of that need for $ for people who are
“responsible for helping the environment”
Knowledge discrimination
Zero sum game v. increasing the pie (abundance)
Widen the table and widen the resources
Connect EE to racial and social justice, and to character education
Based on this list, Iantha and Courtney drafted the following statement as a
starting point for continued conversation in creating the NAAEE statement of
diversity:
NAAEE defines diversity as the beauty and uniqueness of all people
encompassing various personal attributes, values, and organizational roles, with
a specific focus on race and ethnicity and the important role that these
characteristics can bring to our work, our lives, and the individuals that we touch
everyday.
Gus offered to type up notes from the meeting and circulate amongst all
participants.
There was a conversation about how to bring the new conversations to the rest
of the Board members, Diversity Committee members, and Staff members.
There was also some initial brainstorming around how to share the new
perspectives of and new vision about the NAAEE and diversity with NAAEE
members – and perhaps at the upcoming conference in a few weeks.
Next Steps – Commentary by Courtney Schwarten and Iantha Gantt-Wright
The energy and mood of the conversation at the end of the meeting was
noticeably different from that of the first day together. Not only did each
participant have opportunities to speak and be heard, all of those around the
(expanding) table seemed to became more able to listen to each other from a
new perspective, a new lens. In this report, the models shared are ones that
seemed to work in the context of the meeting, and we encourage you to continue
drawing on those models and shared language as the conversations and actions
move forward.
The final conversation of the meeting was full of ideas and possibilities. While
Iantha and Courtney captured the brainstorming list, we’d also like to make
special note of the positive, supportive and energetic tone of that conversation.
There was a building momentum that was then added to by the email
conversations in the days following the meeting. Our hope is that you continue
together to weave the thread of diversity into the fabric of the organization.
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As with many meetings, there are great intentions and an honest interest in
moving forward. And as with many meetings, once everyone goes back to their
offices and is immersed once again in emails and meetings and the daily tasks at
hand, the momentum can fade. We recommend that you keep an eye open to
watch for this, and talk about some strategies you can use to talk openly about
this phenomenon and ways to move through this, if and/or when it might happen.
Iantha and Courtney both believe strongly in the great work and progress you
made at the Inclusion Meeting, and we would like to extend our offer for future
conversations of ways we can support your ongoing efforts together. In addition,
we have a few other suggestions for ways you can continue your learning as
individuals working together around diversity.
Individuals may be interested in coaching, to get one-on-one support around
challenging conversations, understanding your own lenses, and embracing new
perspectives. Courtney and Iantha are both trained coaches, and can also
provide referrals to other coaches who might be a good fit.
The Inclusion Meeting was an experience of cross-race dialogue. Conversations
that include both People of Color and White people are important. In addition,
conversations between White people to discover and gain deeper understanding
of the lenses shared by White people are also critical. Coming together with other
White people to take a look at “the water we swim in” is a way to build selfawareness around the responsibilities that White people have in conversations of
diversity. This can provide support around the shift from diversity as a “Them v.
Us” conversation to a conversation of diversity as something that is all of ours.
Courtney has participated in a White Learning Community for 3 years, and is
interested in exploring what something like this could look like for NAAEE
members.
Additional resources:
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation
at a Time
by Susan Scott
Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships
Across Race
by Frances Kendall
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html#daily
by Peggy McIntosh
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