Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Access (EDIA)

Lighthouse Writers Workshop is a diverse, inclusive, and equitable place where all participants, employees,  and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, feel valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of our departments and programs. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are heard. To that end, we uphold a commitment to a diverse community by nurturing an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment.

We support the creation of new creative works from writers whose narratives have been largely underrepresented in literature, including a diversity of experiences based on racial, cultural, ethnic, or religious identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical, cognitive, or emotional disability, socioeconomic adversity, and personal experiences of adversity or injustice.

We work to connect writers and their voices to audiences, peers, and mentors to advance equity in literature. We build and foster writing communities who collectively contribute to a more inclusive representation in writing, creating and sharing diverse and empowered narratives while we collectively explore the intersections between personal, historical, and social realities that shape our understanding and build collective empathy. 

We’re committed to modeling equity, diversity and inclusion, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, Lighthouse Writers Workshop strives to:

  • See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff, faculty, members, participants, and all of the many communities we serve.
  • Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in our strategic plan to ensure that it’s integrated within our policies, systems, programs, and services.
  • Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
  • Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission.
  • Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions, working to fully understand our intent and own our impact.
  • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, committee, and advisory bodies.
  • Lead with respect and tolerance. We expect staff, faculty, and volunteers to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.