Action for Healthy Kids

**Our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion** Action for Healthy Kids is committed to building and sustaining an organization that seeks and embraces diversity, actively pursues equity, and fosters an inclusive environment. We value diversity across multiple and intersectional dimensions, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs, disability status, and age. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and strive to ensure all voices are heard. Our commitment is built on an unwavering belief that our differences are our strengths and will bring us closer to our organizational vision that every kid is healthy, active and ready to learn; increase organizational performance; support culture and climate; and advance employee retention and leadership opportunities. Action for Healthy Kids is committed to transforming our organization – personally, interpersonally, institutionally and structurally – by confronting our own biases and operationalizing our values. We know that intention alone will not impact inequities. We appreciate that growth happens when people embrace being uncomfortable, and hold themselves and colleagues accountable for learning and implementing inclusive and equitable practices, both in and out of the office. Open minds mean better solutions and happier people. We are committed to non-discriminatory systems and actively strive to provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement across the organization. **Our Goals:** 1. Create a shared understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice to enable reflection on how AFHK affects and is affected by inequitable and/or unjust systems and structures. 2. Build staff and the Board of Directors’ capacity and resolve to engage in and tackle such issues as unconscious bias, cultural competency, health equity, race, class, power and privilege. 3. Ensure resources, programs, and grants are intentionally developed and executed under a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion and reflect the diversity of the school communities we serve. 4. Commit resources and engage with staff and Board of Directors to integrate and elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion into our mission, values, strategic plans, and organizational accountability systems. 5. Develop a system of policies and procedures that foster awareness of bias during the recruitment, hiring, promoting, and evaluation of employees. 6. Take action by advocating for public policies, systems, and structures to promote and improve health equity. 7. Expect employees, board members, and contractors to treat others with dignity and respect at all times and exhibit inclusive conduct. **Our Core Values** In everything we do and in supporting our employees, we strive to meet the following core values. 1. Prioritize Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and Accessibility: We strive to be just and compassionate in our relationships, our workplace and with the communities we serve, amplifying the voices of those who are underrepresented and holding space for grace and humility with each other. 2. Hungry for Change: We courageously innovate to achieve sustainable change that improves the health and well-being of kids for generations to come. 3. Joy In and Through Our Work: We intentionally make space for joy as we work, bringing fun, light-heartedness and positivity to our interactions with each other, our partners and our clients. 4. Courage to Lead: We authentically lead by example in pursuit of healthy equity by tackling critical issues with thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative decision-making to build trust and strong partnerships. 5. A Healthy, Balanced Approach to Life: As we strive to best support the health and well-being of those we serve, we also value our own health and well-being by prioritizing work-life balance and setting healthy boundaries. **Our mission** Action for Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization mobilizing family-school partnerships to prepare kids to be healthy in body and mind.