SPE

SPE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION ,MISSION AND STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are business imperatives for SPE, its members’ companies and academic institutions, and the overall plastics industry. SPE strives to create an environment in which everyone is respected and valued and has equal opportunities to develop, advance, and be heard. To achieve this mission, SPE has adopted the following Strategic Objectives: Education: To provide education to SPE’s elected leaders and staff, as well as to members’ organizations, to ensure that all stakeholders have a thorough understanding of the inherent value of becoming more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organizations and have the tools necessary to advance toward that goal. Internal Recruitment and Professional Development: To develop processes to recruit and develop more diverse SPE leadership and staff teams, and to provide resources to members’ companies so that they too have the tools to similarly enhance their existing programs and practices. Career Pathing and Mentoring: To expand the scope of the SPE PlastiVan® and PlastiVideo® programs to reach a greater number of students in under-resourced BIPOC communities with multiple, layered touches of polymer/plastics STEM education and activities with ongoing mentoring from BIPOC scientists and engineers. The goal is to inspire a large, diverse group of young people to envision their future careers in plastics-related industries and to support their career journeys toward that end. Stakeholder Engagement: To engage members’ companies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to share best DEI practices, workforce information, and resources to further these objectives, and to create safe opportunities for stakeholders to respectfully discuss DEI issues which are at the intersection of individual, corporate, and academic social responsibility.