People are at the centre of everything we do.

“Every person who goes through a Springboard program successfully and sees their life improve is a shining example of the impact we have on the community. Our programs and services play a vital role in realizing the potential in everyone.”

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Graduates

our approach

People are at the centre of everything we do.

That’s why we approach every client with attention to our core values of inclusivity, collaboration, innovation, care, and integrity.

Obama

Programs and Services

A stronger community starts with engaged people at its core. That’s the guiding philosophy behind the programs and services offered by Springboard — and the dedicated and caring professionals who run them.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Springboard, we have always believed that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are central to stewarding a truly inclusive organization where all individuals feel a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish. Over the past 2 years, we have embarked on a journey to become more intentional about doing the necessary work to transform our organization and the sector. In this, we acknowledge the personal, interpersonal, and systemic impact of all forms of exclusion on equity-deserving communities. We commit to making a conscientious effort to collectively address and dismantle systemic and institutional oppression and nurture a culture of freedom and inclusion for all – our board, staff, volunteers, and, most of all, the people and communities who access our services. We envision an organizational culture that offers everyone the respect and support that enable their inherent gifts and capacities to thrive and bloom.

Since 2021, we have undertaken processes of internal assessment, reflection, learning, and change that have enabled us to understand the impact of systems of oppression in our organizational operations and culture. We have put our commitments into practice by engaging with two external organizational consulting teams (IDC Advisory Services & Bloom Consulting), who have supported us in establishing a DEI Committee, offering education and training to board and senior leadership, and developing a multi-phase action plan to move our organization forward. This learning journey has deepened our clarity and commitment to continue listening to, upholding, and valuing the voices and lived experience of our staff, service users, volunteers, and community partners. It has simultaneously reaffirmed our commitment to lifelong DEI learning and growth as an organization.

To this effect, we are examining our governance practices, policies, programs, and operations through a DEI lens in order to support a structural shift toward being an equitable organization. We seek to offer services and supports that improve the experience and equitable outcomes of the individuals and communities who seek our services. The Senior Leadership, Governance Committee of the Board and a newly established Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee have been tasked with organizational responsibility, discernment, and accountability as we pursue this vision.

In practice, our commitment to DEI at Springboard entails:

Addressing Anti-Black Racism
We seek to prioritize actions on Anti-Black Racism (ABR) while ensuring that we continue to mindfully consider impacts and initiatives in support of Indigenous peoples and other equity-deserving communities.

Using DEI/ABR Consistently
We endeavor to use a DEI/ABR lens in all aspects of Springboard’s operations – governance structure, policy development, program development, and human resources policies and practices (including recruitment, orientation, training, retention, and promotion).

Ongoing Learning
We embrace cultural humility by continuing to unlearn systems of oppression while learning to nurture a culture of belonging. We have engaged our board and senior leadership in ABR and DEI training, in a commitment to disrupt personal and institutional unconscious beliefs and practices. Additionally, we will extend this training to all staff and volunteers on an on-going basis.

Addressing Systemic Discrimination Openly
We will openly address systemic discrimination internally and externally and continue building a diverse team among the board, senior leaders, employees, and partners. Additionally, we will advocate for systemic change across our sector and with all levels of government that intersect with our work.

Addressing Harm
We aim to work from a trauma-informed approach in the offering of our services and to actively hold ourselves accountable when harm is caused. We commit to supporting conditions for communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution rooted in values of integrity, care, and compassion.

Transparency
We will ensure on-going transparency related to our DEI journey with employees, funders, and other stakeholders. We will develop communication strategies (such as providing regular updates on our website and embedding methods for feedback within our programs and services) to ensure that the communities who seek our services are fully engaged and can offer feedback on our on-going progress.

Accountability Through Metrics
We will establish clear evaluation metrics to support accountability from the Board and senior leaders as related to program and policy changes along the DEI journey. The establishment and on-going monitoring and measuring of our progress will support our wider organizational reflection, learning and change as related to DEI.

A CCDI Partner

Springboard Services is an Employer Partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) which provides us with a number of benefits that will support us on our diversity journey.

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