Empowering Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in 2022.

Dear Friends of One Spirit Learning Alliance,

We were so moved to receive so many expressions of support last week in response to our announcement about One Spirit Learning Alliance moving to a Fair Share Tuition model. Your generous contributions to our holiday campaign will allow this new tuition model to move from vision to reality! Don’t forget: we have a $29,000 matching fund, so any gift you make toward the holiday campaign will be doubled.  

We also received some questions about the work we are doing to become an Antiracist organization and why we had chosen that path for One Spirit. As an educational organization, it is our responsibility to answer questions and help everyone within our community learn from this opportunity. 

What is Antiracism, and Why is it Important?
Race is the only diversity dimension or element of intersectionality, intentionally created by a specific group solely to diminish the living experience of human beings. This constructed social system has been woven throughout our social and economic systems in order to maintain social and material supremacy and privilege for white people.

As a spiritually-directed organization founded on the principles of wholeness and unity, One Spirit Learning Alliance is compelled both through our institution’s business purpose and our sangha's mission, vision and values to disrupt and dismantle white supremacy, to end the spiritual and material harm of people who are black, indigenous, and of color, and to fight their subjugation and dehumanization. This is the work of antiracism.

By becoming an Antiracist organization, we are committing to examine and change our policies, practices, curriculum and teaching methods to ensure they will no longer ignore the truth of our past nor perpetuate the oppressive systems we inherited. We must actively create a community that raises all people up and empowers them to reach their full potential. 

What are we doing to achieve this?
There are many facets to the One Spirit community and organization. Before we can carry antiracism into our Vision of inspiring and advancing sacred consciousness to individuals, communities and the Earth, we must first take the following steps in organizational reflection and change so that our work to become Antiracist is built on a strong foundation:

Training:

• All staff, board members and faculty are receiving training about Systemic Racism

• Faculty members are receiving mindful facilitation training for conversations on race

• All graduates will be invited to return to One Spirit for additional training on Systemic Racism, at no cost to them, in order for us to fill a gap in their education

Organizational structures

One Spirit is working with consultants to do the following:

• Analyze all of our organizational structures to ensure they reflect our antiracism work

• Change hiring practices to ensure a more diverse workforce

• Change recruitment practices in order to ensure a more diverse Board of Directors

Student Admissions 

• Removing a barrier to entry by instituting a Fair Share Tuition model

• Analyzing our marketing to attract a more diverse student body

• Diversifying our interviewer team to ensure a more inclusive applicant experience

Curriculum

• All programs are being reviewed to decolonize the study of world religions and indigenous culture

• We are updating our sacred service competencies to reflect the most up-to-date understanding of racism, oppression, and human flourishing

• All faculty are being trained to understand what are the needs of our students in this area

What can you do to help this work move forward?

• We have an exciting opportunity to have your donation matched dollar for dollar, up to $29,000, due to a match created by fellow graduates, Board members and staff to inspire you to join us in this work. Donate here and see your generosity move mountains.

• Come join us at the holiday party where you can help us celebrate the many ways
  One Spirit is taking the lead in this important work