Schowalter Grant Will Fund Diversity, Inclusion Initiative
December 14, 2021
Newton, Kan. (December 14, 2021) – The Schowalter Foundation has granted Prairie View $7,500 to address diversity and inclusion among its workforce.
Results from recent employee surveys showed that the organization would benefit from a Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, centered upon the goal of making Prairie View into a safe and trauma-informed place for everyone.
Prairie View will create a 6-10 person Diversity Taskforce, including staff from all levels, that will make recommendations regarding policy and procedure changes and how to incorporate all perspectives into the vision, mission and values.
The objectives of the project are:
- Initial training of key leadership staff and identified members of the Diversity Taskforce, provided by Roots of Justice.
- Development of a diversity taskforce. Prairie View will work with the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR), who will provide consultative processes to support the development of an effective diversity taskforce.
- Evaluation of policies and procedures from a group comprised of people of color who understand economic inequalities, system and racial injustice, and cultural needs.
- Ongoing and regular convening of the Diversity Taskforce at Prairie View. These gatherings will evaluate current priorities and alignment with short-term and long-term goals and strategies to achieve those goals, as well as any course-corrections needed.
“We are so grateful to the Showalter Foundation for these funds, which will allow Prairie View to continue its commitment to being a welcoming, all-inclusive environment for all who walk through our doors,” says Diane Peltier, vice president for advancement at Prairie View.
The training and creation of the taskforce will occur in 2022.
The Schowalter Foundation is a supporting organization of Mennonite Foundation, an affiliate of Everence, which is the stewardship agency of Mennonite Church USA.