Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Belonging

At Destination Imagination (DI), our vision is to ignite the power of all youth to be the creative and collaborative innovators of tomorrow. One of the most powerful ways to achieve that vision is to create a diverse and inclusive environment in which our youth participants can explore and grow together.

We acknowledge that discrimination and bias, even when unconscious or unintentional, hinder the creative process and negatively impact our entire community. We are aware that as a global organization, we must first recognize where we lack in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging. We are grateful for the members of the DI community who have engaged in meaningful conversations that called our organization to task. We also know that meaningful, long-lasting change requires looking inward in order to identify, understand, and actively remove barriers that exist for certain groups of young people in our global community.

Moving forward, Destination Imagination will function as an equitable and inclusive organization, affirming our core values of respect, collaboration, stewardship, perseverance, and integrity as we frame action steps for the future.

Our collaborative skills are needed now, more than ever, as we work together to achieve the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging at every level of our organization. Creativity and learning are enhanced when we consider perspectives that are different from our own. We embrace the call and the responsibility to co-create a better, more inclusive community in which all participants can thrive.

Statements have meaning, but change is created through purposeful action. Our organization pledges to take the following action steps to ensure the creation and preservation of an inclusive DI community:

• We actively seek out and listen to the experiences of our participants, especially to facets of the community that have not historically been given a voice in our decision-making processes, with the understanding that their input will help us frame a healthier and more inclusive community.
• We are developing and implementing strategies and procedures that dismantle discriminatory practices and unconscious biases throughout our organization.
• We are identifying and removing barriers that prohibit people from participating in the DI experience, ensuring opportunities and necessary modifications for the entire DI community.
• We recognize that inclusion is a lifelong journey, and we commit to open, public communication as we navigate change and possibility for our future.