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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Camp Dudley and Camp Kiniya are committed to being diverse, equitable and inclusive environments.  While Camp’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is not new, we are affirming that commitment through a DEI Action Plan which identifies the actions that Camp is taking, now and in the immediate future, in furtherance of DEI.

DEI is who we are at Camp and therefore must be seamlessly woven through all of our programs, policies and plans. DEI requires continuous introspection, commitment and passion that lead to effective actions yielding measurable results.  By listening, sharing, learning and engaging, we strive to create an environment where every voice is heard, and every person is respected, loved, valued and feels welcome in our community.

The Board of Trustees’ DEI Action Plan presents the steps that Camp is undertaking to:

  • increase diversity in our community
  • ensure equitable access to Camp and its many offerings
  • promote an environment in which all of our community members know that they are truly respected, valued, and welcomed for who they are

DIVERSITY IN OUR CAMP COMMUNITY

  • Camp Dudley and Camp Kiniya are working intentionally to build a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
  • Over the last decade, we have significantly increased the number of campers of color.
  • We have built, and are working to expand, strong Community Partner relationships which broaden our access to diverse campers.
  • During Leadership selection and Staff hiring, we look to build diverse cohorts.
  • We have increased, and are working to expand, availability of, and access to scholarships to support building socio-economic diversity in our community.
  • Camp has adopted a tiered tuition program to make its programs more affordable to a wider range of families.
  • Camp provides “Leadership Grants” to those who are interested in Leadership but might otherwise stay home due to other financial obligations.
  • In recent years, the Board has achieved gender balance (9 of 19 current trustees are female) and elected trustees from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (3 current trustees are African-American and 1 is AAPI), as well as Camp’s first openly LGBTQ trustee.

DEI TRAININGS FOR LEADERS, STAFF AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

  • DEI trainings are provided to all Leaders and Staff to support an inclusive and equitable culture throughout the organization at each Camp.
  • As part of Camp’s commitment to a culture of equity and inclusivity throughout the entire organization, the Board of Trustees have also participated in DEI trainings.
  • As a sample of Camp’s DEI training initiatives click here.

CURRENT DEI INITIATIVES 

This summer, we implemented the following in furtherance of DEI goals. 

New DEI position – In summer 2021, Domanick Walker took on a new role as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, working on both sides of the lake with campers, leaders, staff, and our board of trustees to help make camp a more welcoming and inclusive place for all. With his unwavering commitment to teaching all of us how to create an equitable experience for every single person that walks through the gates, we have seen firsthand how quickly positive change can take place when someone as talented and passionate as Dom provides the leadership needed to make things happen. Even in the off-season, Dom continues to serve as a resource to our Directors and year-round team. 

Vespers incorporated DEI – Trained Leader/Staff facilitated discussions around inclusion for all at camp – with a focus on race and gender – which empower campers to think through their own dreams for a better, more inclusive future for themselves and others. 

Kiniya Bridge The Gap (BTG) Program – We established an affinity space for summer community members of color to be nurtured in self-care and informal sharing. Led by Kiniya’s staff member, Hannah Williams, with support from senior staff and Dom Walker, the BTG program fostered an allyship group to nurture inclusive culture. Hannah and BTG participants also created new playlists for us to use for Kiwi Dances and other dance parties/celebrations that include more diverse music and artists.

Dudley Posters & Signs – Each of our cabins and programs areas showcased new posters and signs promoting tolerance, diversity, inclusion, equity, and kindness to spark conversations and remind community members of these important aspects of inclusion.

Kiniya Little Library Project – Inspired by We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a nonprofit whose mission is “[to put] more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children.” Thanks to the generosity of our young alums, we funded and created a lending library at Kiniya, to bring a greater diversity of characters, authors, and stories to camp to ensure all our campers – including our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ campers – can see themselves in the books at camp. We wish for our community to gain exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences through the joy of reading and listening.

COMMITMENTS – UPCOMING DEI INITIATIVES

GOAL 1: GOVERNANCE AND MISSION 

Ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are incorporated throughout our guiding principles and governance documents.

STRATEGIES: 

  • Better define what we mean by being diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
  • Review our Mission, Inclusion Statement, and Core Values to ensure that our commitment to DEI is accurately reflected.
  • Conduct a thorough review and evaluation of existing procedures through the DEI lens.
  • Ensure that there are appropriate policies and practices in place to address incidents of racism, homophobia, or other biases that occur at Camp, and conduct reviews of these policies and practices at regularly scheduled intervals.
GOAL 2: BOARD DIVERSITY 

Sustain and improve diversity at the Board table with the understanding that diverse perspectives improve Board discussions and consideration of issues affecting our entire community, and result in better decisions.

STRATEGIES:  

  • Elect additional candidates from diverse backgrounds and assure that every year’s class of trustees advances Camp’s diversity goals.
  • Identify, recruit and cultivate diverse candidates for election to the Board and promotion to Board leadership and develop a pipeline of diverse Board and Board leadership candidates for future consideration.
  • Increase interest in the Board among the entire Camp family by communicating with campers, leaders, staff, and alumni about the importance of Board service as part of the Camp experience and another way to serve Dudley and Kiniya.
GOAL 3: STAFF/LEADER DIVERSITY 

Increase recruitment of diverse staff and leaders so that our leadership team is truly diverse and can serve the diverse community we continue to develop at Camp.

STRATEGIES: 

  • Explore expanding the pool of leadership candidates beyond former campers in order to diversify leadership pipelines and achieve greater diversity among leaders.
  • Actively recruit diverse staff with a focus on people of color and members of other marginalized communities. 
  • Communicate with campers and leadership trainees about the pathways to leadership at Camp, including programs and policies Camp has established to support participation by people from diverse backgrounds and to provide mentorship to assure their success.
GOAL 4: CAMPER DIVERSITY 

Sustain and increase recruitment and retention of campers from diverse backgrounds so that Camp serves the entire community in all its diversity.

STRATEGIES:

  • Explore what the camp experience is like for campers of color and those from other marginalized communities.
  • Identify and cultivate relationships with families of color and recruit within those communities to build new pipelines of diverse campers. 
  • Review current partnerships and identify opportunities for new partnerships in locations that will increase our diversity.
GOAL 5: ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

Engage our entire alumni community to assure that Camp welcomes and supports our diverse camp families, community partners and alumni beyond the on-campus summer experience. 

STRATEGIES: 

  • Complete the Lost Sheep initiative (identifying alumni who have become disconnected from camp) and build our alumni database, with a focus on our alumni of color, in order to ensure that we have complete and accurate data about our alumni community.
  • Analyze the demographics of our alumni community to better understand and serve Camp’s alumni of color and our diverse alumni base.
  • Evaluate our alumni events (including, location and types of events) with the goal of creating events that are more accessible to, inclusive and supportive of Camp’s alumni from marginalized communities.
  • Review the current engagement process with alumni (including, direct communications and social media) to see how we can increase meaningful connections and ensure that we are welcoming and supporting Camp’s alumni of color and those from other marginalized communities.
GOAL 6: EXAMINE AND HIGHLIGHT DIVERSITY THROUGHOUT HISTORY 

Highlight and uplift the history of people of color within our Camp communities to honor, affirm and welcome all, while exploring ways to incorporate that diverse history into the current programs we offer.

STRATEGIES: 

  • Examine and tell our history with openness and transparency to foster a deeper understanding of past policies, practices and systems and how they affected people of color and those from other marginalized communities.  
  • Understand the experiences of people of color in our communities throughout Camp’s history.
  • Honor and celebrate alumni of color and those from other marginalized communities, including in our events and publications.
  • Explore opportunities for naming or renaming of buildings on campus to ensure that they align with Camp’s mission and values.

Domanick Walker, hired as our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the summer of 2021.

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