AEOE Inclusivity Committee
Meeting at Northern Fall Conference, 15 October 2006
Tamarack Flat, Yosemite

San Joaquin Outdoor Ed.:Melissa (Pika) Morris, Erin Blanchard
Sierra Outdoor School: Hilary Hobbs
Stanislaus NF: Lisa Sherman 
YI: Deeps Dathatri, Adam Burns, Laura Milligan
HI: Aaron Rich 
Green Meadows: Xander Lowry
YMCA Point Bonita: Janine Elliott
SF USD: Robert Beauchamp
Fall Creek School: Lisa Murphy
Camp Arroyo: James Choe
Humboldt State Univ.:Monica Perreira-Pico, Katie Landeros, Amanda Henman
Vida Verde: Shoshanna Krall
Yos. Association: Pete Devine, notes, facilitator

Committee chair Emily Wang is on Easter Island, back in a month

To orient a large number of new AEOE members, and to refresh our sense of purpose for this committee, we reviewed the AEOE mission and vision, and the core values statement on inclusivity that the state board adopted last spring.  The IC is to give the value statement some arms and legs to do something.
The strategic plan was referenced, in that the Inclusivity Committee has work to do to finalize item C.
Some semantics:
The term ‘inclusivity’ was chosen over ‘diversity’, because it expresses an active behavior or attitude. One non-Anglo (for example) person isn’t a ‘diverse person’; it’s groups that can be diverse.   Diversity ≠ people of color.  Diversity and inclusivity refer to all kinds of differences, not just race/skin/ethnicity.

Planning for the spring conference:
We brainstormed and discussed possibilities for presentations on inclusivity issues in the spring conference agenda.
Pete: it has been proposed that rather than weaving a strand of inclusivity presentations through the conference schedule, that one block of the conference be devoted entirely to presentations pertaining to including all people in E/OE, so every member would attend at least one of these sessions.
Keynoter: possibly Dr. Carlos Cortez, who’d address inclusivity
Deeps: can we locate the African-American man who visited Yosemite last year, who’d taken a 17-year vow of silence and walked everywhere?  John something…
Lisa: locate the Latino poet who wrote “Iguanas in the Snow”?  Davis?
Aaron: ask Duffy to repeat her session from last year on eco-heroes other than white males?
Lisa and Eric Godoy (CalAcademy) could repeat a successful role play session on GLBT issues
Laura, Aaron: possible contacts for a presenter on differently abled people
Deeps: EETAP training from this summer, could present with Baldwin
            >are there some funds available for travel, etc.?
Get Echo and Kimberly Cunningham-Summerfield on Indian issues again, legitimacy of using their stories in our programs
Erin: various timeline lessons ought to include local history, not distant Euro events
More resources from other languages, culture – yet be cautious of cultural                                      appropriation
            Can work on a session with Melissa.
Deeps: a session on ethnic food and dance?  Beyond guitars and Taco Bell; what is Hmong food?
Jeanine: “Daylight”- perspectives; how to be an ally
James: caution for environment-ism; social justice needs to be part of sustainability; non-advocacy
            A session to discuss how Title 1 schools can pay for outdoor programs; and on             how outdoor schools can tap the passion of their field staffs to pursue grants, etc.             With Xander, Monica, Katie, Amanda?  Shoshanna: Vida Verde is a free program;             money does matter
Melissa: naturalists need to address their own biases, be comfortable and appropriate with issues: e.g. bashing WalMart or farmers, when students parents might rely on these for work
Xander: we should seek to have our own students of color replace us in our jobs
Aaron: we need to continue to seek an urban setting for an AEOE conference

Pete will update mailing lists for Emily, send Strategy C to all, for input.