Equity Commitment

We recognize the contributions of BIPOC communities frequently and first by:

• Crediting students for their creativity and for the ownership of their work and intellectual property.
• Deferring to the lived experience of students, their families, and our communities, as they bring natural talent, wells of knowledge, and rich background that cannot be replicated by others, including those with more technical “experience”.
• Amplifying the voices and issues of our community by utilizing the privileges and platforms we have access to.

We nurture, instead of restrict, pathways in STEM by: 

• Not gatekeeping what is or is not STEM. The acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics was created after MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) was founded 50 years ago. We support Arts being part of STEM/STEAM, we support Computer Science, we support design, and, most importantly, we support the indigenous and cultural ways that folks have been advancing science knowledge and technology innovation for generations.
• Challenging “Grit” or “Weed-Out” Culture which directly restricts access. Perseverance and hard-work are important but grit culture assumes that the individual needs to overcome personal obstacles to success versus acknowledging that systems need to be changed to reduce obstacles. 
• Working to create more equitable competition and assessment that supports learning and confidence growth. This includes re-imagining our own competitions to ensure that students are receiving equitable support and resources.
• Advocating for greater access to STEM education and STEM teaching for all students through our Advocacy Priorities. 
• Increasing access through automatic enrollment of students into competitions and events, with an opportunity to “opt-out” instead of an “opt in,” changing our application form to an enrollment form, and promoting opportunities for students to enroll in college, such as PSU’s Instant Viking program.  

We will not shy away from the hard conversations that unearth how science and technology have been weaponized against BIPoC communities. We will work to stop the perpetuation of these practices by:

• Having open and honest conversations through MESA Talks and listening to the lived experiences of folks in our communities. We must name and call out how toxic dominant cultures that exist throughout STEM fields.
• Focusing on equitable and inclusive decision making processes for our programs. This involves:
  • Taking in community feedback and not making decisions unless impacted parties and affected groups have been consulted, especially MESA Students/Families, teachers, and our Regional Equity Committees. 
  • Providing due time/consideration for decisions with complex impacts, to ensure impacts are fully considered and key stakeholders have an opportunity to be involved in decision making.
  • Using both qualitative and quantitative data to make decisions and disclosing data that is used to make decisions.

We will create supportive environments in the classroom and in our organization that celebrate and center historically underrepresented folks in STEM especially those who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and women by: 

• Continuing to demonstrate our commitment to diversity through transparent and equitable recruitment, hiring, and retention practices of staff, volunteers, teachers, and students.
• Prioritizing the creation of meaningful, equitable relationships that are not transactional. This applies to all relationships in the MESA community including students, teachers, partners, staff, donors, and volunteers. 
• Using a human centered design approach in teaching and in our program design. This means iterating our programs to serve the wide variety, and changing needs, of communities in our network, especially those most marginalized in each community.