Academic Travel Abroad

Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI)

Academic Travel Abroad is committed to becoming a more equitable and inclusive organization that better serves our travelers, students, employees, and communities. From the stories we share through travel to the inclusive workplace we strive to create, we welcome voices from all races, religions, origins, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

Our Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Action Plan

In November 2020, Academic Travel Abroad (ATA), CET’s parent organization, announced what is now known as our Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Action Plan. This plan serves as a roadmap to guide us in doing our part to eliminate policies, procedures, systems or other structures that perpetuate inequity and implement ones that are inequitable to all our stakeholders, including employees, students, travelers, vendors, partners, etc.

JEDI Action Plan: Goals and Commitments

Accountability

We believe that everyone across the organization is responsible for contributing to our JEDI goals. We aim to hold ourselves to our commitments and push ourselves further.

Education

Action and change first starts with awareness and listening. We value and prioritize making time to learn, teach, and challenge our employees, travelers, and students. 

Belonging

We strive to foster a sense of belonging and security in all stakeholders to be their authentic selves—whether that’s in our offices or our classrooms abroad.

Justice

We commit to reviewing and revamping company policies, procedures, and systems to promote equity and create opportunities for all stakeholders to thrive. 

Annual JEDI Action Plan Audit

Each year, every department at ATA contributes team-specific SMART goals (i.e., goals designed to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based) that contribute to the organization’s overall JEDI Action Plan goals. These goals that are annually reviewed by ATA’s JEDI Coordinator and anonymous, internal advisors. Once feedback is returned and any edits and clarifications are made, the JEDI Coordinator creates a report for the entire organization to review and discuss during the annual audit each February. Read our latest annual JEDI audit summary (formerly known as our Anti-Racist Action Plan).  

JEDI Principles in Action

As we actively unlearn our own biases and do the work to transform our workplace, programs, and industries, we acknowledge that progress may not always be linear. We believe transparency is an important cornerstone of JEDI work and will post updates and other related blog posts here.

2023 JEDI
Annual Review

ATA Blog Post
Each year, all ATA employees set goals to transform our workplace, programs, and the fields of travel and international education to be more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive. For the third year, we came together to share our progress and plan for the coming year at an annual review.
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2022 JEDI
Annual Review

ATA Blog Post
After two years of hard work, intensive review, and lessons learned, we expanded the scope of our work, originally called the Anti-Racist Action Plan. The results of our Annual Review, both looking back at our progress in 2022 and planning for 2023, are summarized here.
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Checking in on our Anti-Racist Action Plan: Year 1

ATA Blog Post
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. [...]
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Curriculum Review

CET Blog Post
An integral component in our Anti-Racist Action Plan (ARAP) is the Curriculum Review—a three-year audit of our study abroad programs with a view to identify and interrogate structures of difference, power, and equity that are uniquely present in each of program locations. [...]
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The Anti-Racist Action Plan

ATA Blog Post
In early June, we stated our commitment to stand in solidarity with Black communities. We committed to unearthing and unlearning our inherent biases as an organization and to listening to the voices of Black colleagues, students, and travelers in educational travel. [...]
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Juneteenth, #PullUpForTravel

ATA Blog Post
On this Juneteenth, we support the Black Travel Alliance and respond to their call to #PullUpforTravel. Academic Travel Abroad provides cultural and educational group travel experiences for leading media, cultural, and educational institutions in the US. [...]
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Our Statement on Racism and Injustice

ATA Blog Post
We are in awe of the courageous communities across the U.S. (and the world!) taking action against police brutality, racial inequity, and other forms of systemic racism that target and harm Black communities. [...]
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