Solidarity Statement

createMPLS stands in solidarity with the Black community against injustice and racism. We recognize that there are systemic issues, lack of opportunity, and structures that have unfairly targeted Black, indigenous/native, and other people of color which has created an underrepresentation in STEM fields. We have been listening and reflecting on how the organization can play a role in furthering access to technology learning programs.

Affirming that Black lives matter engages our core mission of preparing resilient students who have persisted despite systemic exclusion from our communities for the future of work through innovation and accessible technology learning programs. We are committed to continuing the dialogue and taking action in promoting racial equity and justice.

Our Action Plan

We realize that it is not enough to merely issue a statement. createMPLS is continuing our efforts in the following strategy to support the community we serve:

a racial consciousness inquiry into our practices, programming, and policies, which will enable us to be a stronger advocate and voice for the students that we serve
reviewing the patterns of racial injustice that surround the students we serve, moving to address any inequities and barriers to entry that exist
engaging our students to ensure their voices, capabilities, and imaginations are represented and heard, to build the solutions and leadership to transform their communities
reviewing how we measure the outcomes of the experiences of the students we serve, to better understand our progress in racial equity
strengthen our employee policies and training programs to include emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion
recruitment of staff and volunteers from underrepresented communities

In this upcoming fiscal year, we are committed specifically to:

reflecting on how we deliver content in the classroom and in lab settings through peer-to-peer review with a racial/ethnic equality lens
reviewing our intake form to better inform and highlight the unique racial and cultural aspects of the students we serve
working to connect with people of color in STEM fields and bringing them in to speak with the students to provide role models and inspiration for the future of work in innovation and technology
continued training of our staff and volunteers on racial awareness and developing more asset-based mindsets in how we deliver our content in a more inclusive manner