Equity Learning Community
The Equity Learning Community, or ELC, is an action-oriented, collaborative learning community of City workers dedicated to promoting and operationalizing equity in all departments.
Led by the Office of Equity and Engagement, the ELC intentionally creates space for all workers to breathe, exist, and share our lived experiences. We believe that through this work, we will create space for equitable decision-making that will benefit the community and our own well-being as public servants.
Mission
The mission of the ELC is to create a brave space for staff to learn, recharge, organize, and take action to advance equity.
The ELC will:
- Observe and engage the state of equity in City departments to promote better decision-making
- Create and promote accountability structures that advance equity in City departments
- Create and hold space to deepen relationships with colleagues and get excited about the work ahead
- Support, uplift, and celebrate City staff who lead with equity
Community Agreements
The ELC’s community agreements are:
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ASK AND EXPLAIN
We will create a log of jargon, acronyms, and FAQs to help others on their equity journey. We will not shy away from one-to-one conversations with curious minds. When someone asks, we will explain.
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RESPECT THE JOURNEY
Equity is a fluid, social construct – therefore, equity work is a journey with many different starting points and milestones. We will respect others’ journeys, including our own, with a learner's mindset as things grow, shift, and change.
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BRAVE SPACE
We will foster a brave space that is centered on humanity and values emotion. We will create a shared environment where all can speak freely to share stories and experiences and know that those stories will be carried with weight. We will ask and answer the hard questions by looking inward.
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PRIORITIZE AND SHARE THE WORK
We will be fully present and prioritize the work. We will spread the word to get others involved, starting with City employees and then expanding to include the community. We will sustain those relationships to share the successes and challenges of our applied learning. We will support equity work in all departments and all levels of government.
Events
All ELC events contain a chance to connect with colleagues, practical learning objectives, and experiential learning objectives. Most events are no longer than an hour and may be led by City staff or members of the community.
Resources
We center the perspective of the people in our work. Using resources from the Government Alliance on Racial Equity, the Stanford d.school, the National Equity Project, and more, we learn and apply innovative concepts to increase the City’s capacity for equity. We seek to understand our biases, privileges, and the impact our words and actions have on each other and our Grand Rapids communities.
Please see below for a sample of some of the resources we use in our work.