In October 2020, we shared our Anti-Racist Action Plan (ARAP)—a 10-year roadmap to becoming a more equitable and inclusive organization that better serves our students, travelers, employees, and communities. This initiative was created in solidarity towards the Black Lives Matter movement and in recognition of the extreme prejudice directed at Black, Indigenous, and People of Color for centuries. Our ARAP aims to challenge and transform our workplace, programs, and industries through concrete, measurable goals over a decade.
The Auditing Process
Each department at ATA contributes long-term action items and goals that are annually reviewed by our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) leadership and anonymous, internal advisors. Feedback is then returned to directors by December 31st to change or clarify their goals for the following audit cycle.
What We Accomplished in 2021
Much of our work in this inaugural year focused on establishing a baseline from which we could build longer term initiatives upon. Here are a few examples of what we accomplished in 2021:
Actions to Transform our Workplace
- Of the 4 US-based positions we recruited for in 2021, 2 hires identified as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color—meeting the minimum baseline of our hiring goal. Our retention efforts are further behind, with 4 out of 9 total departing staff members identifying as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color.
- We are changing the way we recruit and hire. Unnecessary education and background requirements have been eliminated, salaries are posted on all US job descriptions, rubrics to reduce bias have been introduced, external searches are performed for all positions, and managers undergo a thorough training on the hiring process.
- We hosted four organization-wide discussions on JEDI themes, as well as offered a number of additional, focused trainings (e.g. intentional program design, staff competencies, etc.) and related resources to all employees.
Actions to Transform our Programs
- Our Programming team focused on expanding the diversity of program content for new tours being developed. For example, a new art trip to Santa Fe focuses on indigenous art and the group will meet with an artist-activist. All conversations regarding new trip development now include a tour idea, visit, or expert suggestion that addresses justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Our Customer Service Division revised the pre-departure information shared with travelers to give a more accurate portrayal of the destinations’ history and culture to prepare them for their trip. They focused on giving a more holistic interpretation of the destination’s history, highlighting a broader variety of food, and including recommendations to Black-owned restaurants and attractions.
- CET Academic Programs (our study abroad division) launched the Curriculum Review project—a 3-year initiative in which CET reviews all syllabi and field-based/co-curricular components—with a view to identify and interrogate structures of difference, power, and equity. In 2021, they developed queries and training materials to orient a comprehensive review, carried out a training session for on-site and US-based staff, and each program site established its own work plan complete with actionable goals, anticipated challenges, and a timeline.
Actions to Transform our Industries
- Our Finance and Accounting teams conducted a thorough vendor review of our US banking partner—including an examination of their litigation history, Corporate Social Responsibility plan, and DEI action plans—to ensure we are partnering with/supporting companies that are similarly committed to a more equitable and inclusive future.
- As an organization, we continued our financial and in-kind support of Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)—an organization focused on providing scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population.
Looking Towards 2022
Here is a look at just a few things we’re focusing on this year:
Actions to Transform our Workplace
- We will conduct a comprehensive compensation audit to ensure equity across titles and positions within the company.
- We will also update the Career Pathway—an internal mapping of career growth within the organization.
Actions to Transform our Programs
- Our Marketing team plans to complete a full audit of the company website by the end of Q2, identify areas for improvement, and build a dedicated page that focuses on ATA’s JEDI-related work and initiatives.
- Our Programming team will build off work they began in 2021—developing and recommending trips for partners that center or highlight narratives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as continue to seek out more partnerships with businesses and suppliers owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
- CET plans to stay the course for its current established Curriculum Review timeline (Summer 2021 to Summer 2022). This includes individual meetings regarding local progress reports, the second Curriculum Review training workshop, and making revisions to local work plans according to discussions held during the workshop.
Actions to Transform our Industries
- Continue to review ATA’s vendor relationships individually and assess whether or not action needs to be taken.
- Continue our financial and in-kind support of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA).
In Summary
Of all 2021 goals set by directors: 8 were complete, 9 had significant progress (but still considered incomplete), and 5 were incomplete. 19 of the 29 set items in the Anti-Racist Action Plan had at least some progress made. An additional 24 goals have been identified for 2022.
Priorities and goals shift as realities change. 2021’s COVID-related obstacles in the travel industry meant that some of our goals and action items (e.g. enrollment, hiring, etc.) were particularly difficult to achieve. Additionally, many of the ARAP goals and action items cannot be checked off in a single year. Even those marked as “completed” in 2021 will still need to be reviewed and addressed regularly to ensure progress continues to be made. Particularly with anti-racism work, oftentimes the more you dig into an issue, the more layers you find underneath. Though we recognize that this is only the beginning and the work will never be “done,” we are proud of what we accomplished in our first year and are invigorated to continue the work as we move forth towards a more equitable future.
