The Board of the Vermont Education & Environment Network acknowledges that we live in a world with systematic and institutional injustice and inequity based on appearances and identities – a system that reinforces white privilege. This system is broken, and we recognize that impacts of systemic racism disproportionately impact the lives and communities of black, indigenous, and people of color. 

The Vermont Education & Environment Network acknowledges that long term, sustainable change is needed to make our outdoor spaces and communities more inclusive. To dismantle racism and systemic oppression it is vital that white people are actively engaged in anti-racism work. 

We acknowledge that when it comes to this work our organization is not yet where we strive to be.  We are actively working on learning, addressing, and improving the way we move through the world as individuals and an organization.   

We are committed to equity, justice, inclusion and creating systems change within our organization. We are engaged in active listening, learning and plan to continue this work into the future. To start we will take the following steps:

• Reach out and build authentic partnerships with communities and organizations across the state 
• Offer programming/ events/ resources for professional development and networking relevant to educators across Vermont. Provide programming on antiracism, decolonization, and amplify voices of black, indgenous, and people of color. 
• Elevate and address the diverse experiences and needs of educators across Vermont.
• Identify the internal organizational systems used by the Vermont Education & Environment Network that are exclusionary and change them. Such as reduce jargon, acronyms, and make language and opportunities accessible.
• Increase our communications and visibility through actively including and recruiting audiences that are underrepresented in environmental education.