Diversity & Inclusion at Open Roads

After approximately 16 variations and drafts, a collective statement of Diversity & Inclusion has been created by our Youth Advisory Board, staff team, and the Board of Directors. A total of 31 members of our team weighed in! Each group discussed what having (and making) an official statement means for them, as well as what it means for future program participants and their families, staff members, volunteers, and supporters. After months of collaborative fine-tuning, we have come up with a statement we are proud of:

Open Roads Bike Program embraces and values the diversity of Kalamazoo and the world around us. We are people of all ages, from all walks of life, working together to use bicycles as a vehicle for skill development and community engagement. We encourage people of all abilities, ages, economic statuses, faiths, ideologies, genders, gender identities, ethnic origins, nationalities, races, and sexual orientations to be a part of the Open Roads Bike Program community. 

Below you can see some the people who created this statement for Open Roads. We have 7/8 Youth Board members represented, 9/10 staff represented, and 12/13 Board of Directors represented here (not everyone has photos on file with us quite yet). THANK YOU to everyone at Open Roads who continues to put time and energy into fostering a culture and environment that is equitable and inclusive. This official statement is a step in the right direction for our organization, and we are moving forward with some big, important goals in mind.