As a historically white-led organization we are working to change that history by committing to deep learning about our systemic white cultural practices. We are gaining more understanding of what it takes to dismantle racism (both subtle and overt). We are committed to transparency of our challenges; to doing personal and organizational work to create safe spaces full of equity; and we are dedicated to being an organization that supports dismantling racism that persists in our inherited cultural structures, values and systems.

We are aware that it is not sufficient to state our good intentions, or solely share the ways our current work is not harmful to people who are oppressed. Instead, we must continue to improve actively on being anti-racist throughout our organization. Our anti-racism work is grounded in the vision and mission of our organization.  And there is also more to do.

LINK TO OUR VISION AND MISSION

In striving to fulfill this vision and mission, Journeys has always been guided by the individual ‘soul spark’ of each person that we serve, no matter their race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. As an Earth-based organization, we have always believed in the interconnected Web of Life as a source of wisdom and guidance. This reflects the same foundational belief that motivated Martin Luther King, Jr. to say that all beings are engaged in “an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. What affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.” 

This vision unites the quest for ecological sustainability, so central to the work of Journeys, with the quest for social justice. We know that environmental, economic and social justice are threads of one weaving. From its origin over 50 years ago in the Institute of Cultural Affairs, an organization dedicated to creating healthy communities grounded in equality and collaboration, Journeys has maintained a commitment to justice work. We have a robust scholarship program and have never turned away a youth or adult from programs due to finances. In collaboration with queer colleagues, in 2018 we began offering our Summer Queer Kinnection Quests to support LGBTQ2IA+, Gender Diverse, Queer and Trans Youth. In our leadership training programs for guides and mentors, we partner with social justice leaders, to inquire into the intersections of colonization, ancestry, trauma and initiation. These programs also explore the issues and opportunities raised by working with youth of diverse backgrounds in gender, sexuality and ethnicity, as well as how to engage in ceremonial practices that respect diverse spiritual orientations and cultural frameworks.

But we can — and must — do better. We embrace this opportunity to look more deeply at our organization for hidden assumptions and biases that inevitably result from a predominantly white leadership group. While remaining true to our mission, and mindful of the current pressures of fundraising and delivering summer programs in the midst of a pandemic, the Board of Rite of Passage Journeys commits to support the efforts of dismantling systemic racism in the following ways:

In 2020 we committed to an Action Plan

which included

Retain an outside consultant to conduct a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) assessment of our entire organization

From the results of that assessment, we committed resources and took action to:

• Discover and reduce barriers to diversifying our Board and staff

• Provide opportunities for field staff, administrative staff, committed community members and Board to 

  • Engage in heartfelt discussions of race, power and privilege

  • Participate in professional anti-oppression training

• Partner with connected organizations to improve outreach to marginalized communities

• Report progress on this work to stakeholders on a regular basis

Please see our progress updates below of our organizations evolution. We have titrated between learning what we didn’t know, we didn’t know and taking action. We still have a ways to go and are on a committed path to continue to evolve as an organization.

2025 Commitments

• Establish an Equity Task Force, with black and brown bodied accountability partners, to hold our organization accountable for ongoing DEI improvement

• Board recruiting, we will use enacted board recruiting criteria to diversify and grow representation for all groups.

2024

• The Board further dedicated time to anti-racist study needed to make the board culture safer for more diverse board representation. Currently the board is studying “Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem.

• The Board began a deeper evaluative process of where we have come and where we are going related to organizational commitments of anti-racism.

• Journeys offered a white-caucaus learning and accountability group for Rites and Responsibilities of cultural appropriation and appreciation in Rite of Passage Work. In addition we continue to audit our organizational practices around cultural appropriation.

• We organized work projects for youth in collaboration with indigenous land restoration projects.  In addition we speak to parents in our land acknowledgements about rent reparation projects like the Real Rent Duwamish program.

• Journeys leaders met with Snohomish Community Foundation leaders to network to improve connections and partnerships with other organizations serving marginalized populations.

• We worked with Sar Surmick of the Consent Academy to further discussions and learning about consent & power/privilege checking.

• We created more dignity and transparency in our generous scholarship policies

2023

• Began the process of diversifying staff by hiring a queer executive director and subsequent further reorganization of staff. In this process we were able to hire 2/3 of our full-time staff as highly qualified global majority and queer applicants.

• 2 queer representatives committed to serving on the board for a multi-year term.

2021

Opening Wider Circles

Diving deeper into support for this year’s summer programs has broken open the heart of Journeys for me with new clarity. Seeing the incredible dedication of staff and guides, the trust and vulnerability of participants and their families, and the stewardship of the Board and the wider Journeys’ circle, spiral into being as a newly woven tapestry of heartfelt community. 

Even as we celebrate the beauty and balm of connections within the circle, the emergence of authentic community by its nature invites the questions: “Who is left out and why? How do we re-dedicate our work to opening even wider circles?”

Last summer, the Journeys Board committed to action and ongoing communication on its efforts to overcome unconscious bias, racism and other forms of oppression in ourselves and the circles of this organization, while staying grounded in Journeys’ vision and mission. To this end, we want to continue to report progress on our Board Action Plan.

Board Action Plan

• Conduct a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) assessment working with external consultants to discover and reduce barriers to diversifying the Board and staff

• Provide opportunities for field staff, administrative staff, committed community members and Board to engage in heartfelt discussions of race, power and privilege and participate in professional anti-oppression training

• Partner with connected organizations to improve outreach to marginalized communities

• Report progress on this work to stakeholders on a regular basis

Progress on Action Plan

March 2021 

Board and Staff engaged in reflection and discussion as part of a multi-session training on Gender Identity and Wholistic Sexuality led by J Mase III. These conversations allowed time to unpack and examine assumptions, structures and language related to gender-identity and sexual orientation in Journeys’ work. Doing so helped us think more deeply about how we hold open the space for young people as they grapple with gender and sexual identity, how we attract and inspire Guides equipped with the experience to mentor them, and how we support families deciding which trips would best serve their youth in this regard.

April 2021

Board and Staff worked with Darcy Ottey and Kruti Parekh from Youth Passageways Education and Consulting Collective, on Transformative Justice and Repair Work. We explored principles of transformative justice in relation to our community’s historic and recent conflicts, with a focus on Journeys’ current processes and practices. These conversations revitalized a commitment to deepen Journeys’ capacity to repair the threads of connection inevitably frayed and torn as we lean into community. We’ve begun immediate work refreshing our conflict resolution processes and exploring an Elder Initiative that would include a non-governing council of elders offering support to Guides, Staff and Board on an as-needed basis.

May 2021

Janis Avery, the former CEO of Treehouse for Kids and a consultant on Social Justice and Equity issues, met with Staff and Board to provide input and resources for reducing barriers to diversity for Journeys’ Board, Staff and Guides. A Board Development Steering Committee was formed to identify, cultivate and recruit Board members who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences, and fill gaps in expertise. Focusing on fostering relationships, the Steering Committee has begun work to identify and reach out to BIPOC, Trans and Queer organizations, and individuals who are currently working in or with wilderness-based, youth service organizations. The goal is to build long-term relationships of mutual support as a foundation for possible recruiting to serve on the Board. 

As all this continues to unfold, the passion and creativity of a Journeys’ summer highlights the transformative power of community and further energizes this work. I’ve experienced firsthand the dedication of Staff, Guides and Board to the continued learning and effort required to progress along this path. We’d also like to invite the extended Journeys’ community into this process, beginning with the summer closing ceremony and relaunch of Heart of Journeys gatherings (Saturday, September 4, 2021, 4-8:00pm at Songaia) as we continue to open our circles even wider. 

In community,
Brian Bansenauer, Board of Rite of Passage Journeys

3/8/21:

Soul Sparks and the Dignity of Identity

In its stated commitment to being part of the movement to support the dismantling of systemic racism in our organization and in the wider culture, Rite of Passage Journeys has forged ahead with its action plan to engage in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training for board and staff.

For the past six months, each member of the leadership team, both board and staff, have engaged in individual study and personal reflection on the themes of racial justice, historical oppression and our own individual biases. Each board meeting has included a relevant reading and a group discussion of progress toward fulfilling our goals.

In addition, thanks to a generous matching grant from an anonymous dedicated support family, and the continued matching support of our donor community, the Board of Directors has engaged several professional development training opportunities in the coming months.

In March, the Board has retained the services of J Mase III to lead a training on Gender Identity and Wholistic Sexuality. In April, the Board has retained the services of Youth Passageways Education and Consulting Collective, with Darcy Ottey and Kruti Parekh leading a training on Transformative Justice and Conflict Repair. This fall, after the rush of our summer programs is over, we will engage in a training on overcoming barriers to diversity in board and staff.

Both of these training organizations bring their strengths in tailoring what is currently happening in their fields of expertise to our specific situation, based on our organizational structure, mix of team members, and the needs of all we serve, including:

• youth as they grapple with complexities in their lives, and work to clarify their own beliefs, attitudes and goals

• families as they welcome and support their kids in a world that urgently needs what they have to offer

• adults who are training to bring rites of passage work to their home communities, and are on journeys of personal development, helping to create a partnership of generations as initiated adults

In addition to receiving professional anti-racism training, Journeys will be creating opportunities for field staff, administrative staff, committed community members and the Board to engage in generative discussions of race, power and privilege. Together, these trainings and conversations will continue to support us in overcoming the unconscious bias, racism and other forms of oppression in ourselves and our organization, while staying grounded in our vision and mission.

In our next update, we look forward to sharing some of the insights we have gained from these trainings and community discussions, and how we can use those insights to continue to make our organization a welcome home for the individual ‘soul spark’ of each person that we serve — a welcome that is grounded in the dignity of their identity.

In Community,
Randy Morris, Board of Rite of Passage Journeys

9/15/20:
What a humbling experience this summer has been, woven with interconnected tracks and layers: the escalation of Covid-19, the sharp decline of our national economy and wellbeing, and the rising social upheaval that is both supporting and detracting from the movement to dismantle systemic racism. At Journeys, all those layers were present as we planned for and then ran trips in this Covid summer.

Adaptation, Safety and Evolving Needs: Serving in the time of Covid

Families in need call with hope ᐧ State, health authorities and parks update guideline ᐧ Covid protocol refined ᐧ Training programs adapt to online format: mentors across country and around world gather ᐧ WildWise School offers alternate basecamp nearer trailheads and makes summer possible ᐧ first 4 trips postponed ᐧ half our families cancel or defer to 2021 ᐧ We prep, reassess, hope ᐧ July 1 Olympic National Park opens backcountry travel! ᐧ July 5 first trip out ᐧ July 8 Tribal communities grant coastal access for Coming of Age solos ᐧ Summer compresses into 8 epic weeks ᐧ core team exhausted from 24/7 and 3+ hour round trip dual basecamp commute ᐧ gratitude overflowing for hope-filled families and kids, courageous guides, dedicated staff and essential supporters

Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Assessment and Professional Training

Currently, we have two primary ways that we foster inclusion and diversity. 1. Our commitment to provide financial assistance to anyone who requests it, which is focused on removing barriers to participation. 2. Our second effort resides within the structure of how we conduct our Rite of Passage experiences, embodied by core practices of collaboratively creating group agreements with participants, to acknowledge and incorporate the diverse perspectives, beliefs and values that each person is bringing with them; the practice of council circles which celebrate and honor the unique voice and experience of every person in the group; and building community by creating circumstances that require participants to rely on one another, engage in dialogue that considers diverse opinions, navigate conflict through communication skills, and adapt to the needs of their trip community. All of these practices encourage individuals to learn and clarify personal beliefs, attitudes and worldviews.

Organizationally, we understand that we have a lot of room for improvement in both of these approaches. And we realize that there may be other places and areas for us to take on organizational growth and development that could further improve our ability to offer Rites of Passage experiences in ways that support equity, inclusion, diversity and justice in our society. It is our commitment to find a consultant who can work with us to conduct an organizational assessment, and develop goals and a plan to achieve them.

Finding a Consultant

Coming off a financially devastating Covid summer, we must focus our energy on maintaining our operations enough to prepare for next summer. A big part of the conversations we are having with our support community revolve around how to meet foundation-level service needs while also devoting time and resources to essential organizational development? One person and one idea at a time....

Matching Grant to Fund JEDI Assessment and Professional Training

After a generative conversation, a dedicated support family offered to host a small matching grant designated to assessment and training. As we spoke, families and individuals began coming to mind — those we know who share these goals and values, and who will likely  be excited by this new opportunity. I felt my own excitement build at this tangible possibility to create the funding we need to move this core step forward.

Feedback to Inform Organizational Assessment

Direct Feedback: Board and staff are actively engaged in one-on-one meetings with field guides and colleagues in partner organizations. We are grateful for the observations and feedback these individuals and organizations are sharing with us, and their commitment to work with us as we move forward with our efforts to expand our awareness and practice.  

Partner-hosted Circles:  In August, Youth Passageways hosted 5 sessions of Race-identity Caucus Spaces for supporters of youth rites of passage, to explore how all people of color and white people are differently affected by racism, and can find ways to work together to end racism. During a month when Journeys’ team barely sleeps, the tighter window of our own Covid summer allowed me to attend the final three sessions. Having missed the first two white caucus spaces, in the final two I listened, absorbed and considered my own hidden assumptions and biases. It was a privilege and of deep impact to witness the final gathering, receiving feedback and stated needs from the BIPOC and multi-racial caucus members. 

As we continue the work of delving into our own history, assess the education we need, and take next steps to move forward in deepening service to kids, families, adults and community, we are grateful for your feedback, and news of your own work towards ending systemic racism. 

In community,
Kylie Loynd, Executive Director